Secularism in Turkey

İYİ (Good) Party Chair Meral Akşener has vowed jobs and a good future for the Turkish youth if the opposition alliance wins the presidential and parliamentary polls on May 14.

Nongovernmental organizations and activists struggling for equal representation of women in politics and social life have criticized the low number of women on political parties' parliamentary candidate lists, describing it as "dishonorable."

The joint presidential candidate of the opposition, Kemal Kılıçdaroğlu, has reiterated his objective of establishing the "Organization of Peace and Cooperation in the Middle East" if he comes to power in the May polls, stressing that there is no reason why Türkiye, Iran, Iraq and Syria can't live together in peace.

A total of 13 out of 26 political parties that submitted their parliamentary candidate lists to the Supreme Election Board (YSK) will enter May 14 elections on their own, while 13 others will run under alliances.

Four small parties of the six-party oppositional Nation Alliance have decided to run for the Parliament with the ticket of the Republican People's Party (CHP) in order to maximize the number of seats of the alliance in May 14 polls.

An armed attack took place at İYİ (Good) Party's Istanbul headquarters on March 31, and an investigation has been launched into the incident.

A bullet hit the window of the cafeteria section of the building and another one hit a business center next to the İYİ Party's building.

The building of a Turkish opposition party in Istanbul was hit by two bullets overnight, its leader said on Friday, in what she described as an attempt to scare party members ahead of landmark presidential and parliamentary elections next month.

Meral Aksener (C), the leader of the opposition 'Good Party' (IYI) speaks at a press conference after election results in Ankara, Turkey, 26 June 2018. Photo: EPA-EFE/STR

"One-and-a-half months left to the elections, and our party building has been riddled with bullets from first to third floors following Recep's third threat," Aksener told a press conference after the attack.

Following a meeting between Homeland Party Chair Muharrem İnce and the joint candidate of the Nation Alliance and the leader of the Republican People's Party (CHP), Kemal Kılıçdaroğlu, Turkish media reported on March 30 that it is unlikely İnce will give up his presidential bid.

According to a temporary list published in the Official Gazette by the Supreme Election Board (YSK), the people of Türkiye will elect its new president out of four contenders, including President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan and the opposition candidate, Kemal Kılıçdaroğlu.