Workers' Party of Turkey

The Workers' Party of Turkey, TIP, holds a protest in Istanbul. Photo: Workers' Party of Turkey

"We demand respect for the will of the people of Hatay," the TIP said in a statement.

"What is happening is against the constitution in every way. End this illegality and enforce the laws from which you derive your authority," it added.

Rising Star

Erkan Bas. Photo: Workers' Party of Turkey, TIP.

With just over two weeks to go until the Turkish Presidential and Parliamentary elections, the electoral race is getting heated. Understandably, attention is focused on President Recep Tayyip Erdogan and his AKP on the one hand, and his biggest rivals, Kemal Kilicdaroglu and the alliance around the opposition CHP.

The head of the Workers' Party of Turkey, the child of Bosniak immigrants from Sandzak, has generated a stir in Turkish politics - which he hopes will translate into seats in the May elections.

Left to right, Mansur Yavas, Ekrem Imamoglu, Meral Aksener and Kemal Kilicdaroglu. Photo/Illustration: BIRN

However, in a sign of continued divisions, it has been revealed that Meral Aksener, leader of the Good Party, the second biggest in the alliance, opposed the candidacy of Kemal Kilicdaroglu, the leader of the main opposition Republican People's Party, CHP.

Main opposition Republican People's Party (CHP) Chairman Kemal Kılıçdaroğlu has stated that the government wants to imprison him and called on President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan to lift his immunity because he is not afraid of it.

The CHP leader shared a video on his Twitter account on July 3, saying that "Let's lift my immunity right now; let's do it together."

The Turkish Presidency has submitted a motion to the parliament seeking the removal of the parliamentary immunity of 20 deputies, including Kemal Kılıçdaroğlu, the leader of the Republican People's Party (CHP).

An Istanbul court has sentenced a policeman to 16 years and eight months in jail in a case into the death of Berkin Elvan during the Gezi protests in 2013.