TDP chair Sarıgül announces support for Kılıçdaroğlu in presidential race

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Party for Change in Turkey (TDP) leader Mustafa Sarıgül has announced that they will support the opposition Nation Alliance’s presidential candidate Kemal Kılıçdaroğlu in the May 14 presidential elections.

Sarıgül’s remarks came after Kılıçdaroğlu paid a visit to him at the TDP headquarters on April 6. Kılıçdaroğlu has been visiting opposition leaders as part of his election campaign.    

Sarıgül formed the TDP after leaving the main opposition Republican People’s Party (CHP). He was the mayor of Istanbul’s Şişli district between 1999 and 2014, for three consecutive terms. He was also the CHP's Istanbul Metropolitan Municipality candidate for the 2014 local elections but lost the race to the ruling Justice and Development Party (AKP) candidate Kadir Topbaş.

“As the TDP, we stand by a democratic parliamentary system. We desire an unbiased president, powerful parliament and independent judiciary. I believe that the most right candidate that will transform our Turkey to a democratic parliamentary system is Mr. Kılıçdaroğlu. I believe that the candidate that will place our Turkey on its tracks is Mr. Kılıçdaroğlu,” Sarıgül said.

Kılıçaroğlu said that they talked about Turkey’s problems and especially quake zone in their meeting. “In the upcoming period, Turkey needs a change. Turkey needs an air of spring. And for this spring, we need to extend the Table of Abraham (‘Halil İbrahim Sofası’),” Kılıçdaroğlu said.

The Table of Abraham (“Halil İbrahim Sofrası”) carries the connotation of a bountiful table and describes a host or home whose table is always overflowing with food and welcome.

Kılıçdaroğlu had also used the term during his meeting with Homeland Party leader Muharrem İnce last week.

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