Democratic Party

An election stand supporting HDP's presidential candidate Demirtaş was physically attacked, while six people who were handing out allegedly illegal propaganda pamphlets targeting joint candidate İhsanoğlu were briefly detained July 26 The election campaigns of two presidential candidates of Turkey's opposition have faced attacks.

With Eid al-Fitr, or "Ramazan Bayramı" in Turkish, fast approaching, the leaders and representatives of all the major political parties in Turkey are still campaigning hard for the upcoming presidential elections on Aug. 10.

Turkish presidential candidate Ekmeleddin İhsanoğlu has said he is willing to pursue the Kurdish peace process, but adds the resolution must be “rational.”

Albania's main opposition party has slated plans to drastically cut the number of rural and urban municipalities from 350 to 61, three of which will be ethnic minority municipalities.

If the law is passed on July 31, it will be Albania’s first territorial administrative reform since 1992, following the collapse of the Communist regime.

The voting cards for the Aug. 10 Turkish presidential elections were unveiled on July 24. The three presidential candidates, Recep Tayyip Erdoğan, Selahattin Demirtaş and Ekmeleddin İhsanoğlu have been placed on the cards from left to right, respectively, as they prepare for Turkey’s first-ever presidential election by popular vote.

The whole of Turkey is facing environmental destruction for the sake of development, industry and investments, presidential hopeful Selahattin Demirtaş has said, speaking at a bicycle tour with environmentalists in the southeastern province of Diyarbakır on July 23.

Independent Diyarbakır deputy Leyla Zana and Peoples’ Democratic Party (HDP) Istanbul deputy Sırrı Süreyya Önder have met with Kurdistan Regional Government (KRG) Prime Minister Nechirvan Barzani and Iraqi President Jalal Talabani as part of their a week-long visit to northern Iraq.

Presidential candidate Ekmeleddin İhsanoğlu visited Istanbul’s historic Spice Bazaar on July 23, as part of his campaign for the upcoming election.

İhsanoğlu, who has the backing of nine political parties, including the main opposition Republican People’s Party (CHP) and the Nationalist Movement Party (MHP) for the upcoming election, met with shop owners during his visit.

Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdoğan bid farewell to his parliamentary group during his address on July 22, saying it would be his last group meeting if he is elected president next month.

“I have addressed you from this desk for 13 years,” Erdoğan said in an emotional speech, adding that his ruling Justice and Development Party (AKP) was “witness to a historic struggle.”

Independent Diyarbakır deputy Leyla Zana and Peoples’ Democratic Party (HDP) Istanbul deputy Sırrı Süreyya Önder have travelled to northern Iraq for a week-long visit, during which they will hold talks with the leaders of the Kurdistan Regional Government (KRG) and Iraqi President Jalal Talabani.