Turkish Opposition to Run Joint Candidate Against President Erdogan

Leader of main opposition Republican People's Party, Kemal Kilicdaroglu (C), candidate of main opposition Republican People's Party for Ankara mayor Mansur Yavas and Republican People's Party candidate for Istanbul mayor Ekrem Imamoglu greet their supporters in Ankara, April 2019. Photo: EPA-EFE/STRINGER.

"Our presidential candidate will be 13th President of the Republic of Turkey and… will be everyone's president," they said in a joint statement.

The leaders of the six opposition parties claimed that they are more powerful and hopeful than February when they started their initiative to build a larger and more united opposition alliance.

"We have become the hopes of our nation with our determination by coming together for the first time on February 12 to say that the logical outcome of the executive presidential system's natural results, which has been swiftly pushing our country to a disaster, should be stopped," the statement added.

The statement came after the sixth meeting held by the chairs of the main opposition Republican People's Party, CHP, İYİ (Good) Party, Felicity Party, Democrat Party, Future Party and DEVA Party.

The so-called Six Party Table was initiated by Kemal Kilicdaroglu, the leader of social democratic CHP, in February.

The six parties' pledge in February to work together to end the rule of President Erdogan and his Justice and Development Party, AKP by agreeing on a joint presidential candidate was seen as a major step by political observers.

CHP leader Kilicdaroglu, Istanbul mayor Ekrem Imamoglu and Ankara mayor Mansur Yavas, who are both also members of the CHP, are seen as the most likely presidential candidates to be chosen by the joint opposition.

However, the Six Party Table does not...