İYİ Party

Turkey's six-party opposition alliance said it would announce its joint candidate next week to challenge President Tayyip Erdogan in the presidential election, with a little more than two months to go before the vote in May.

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.

İYİ (Good) Party leader Meral Akşener said on Feb. 1 that the six-party Nation Alliance's government program is the concrete plan of what they will do after May 14 elections drafted over discussions of the opposition leaders in "common sense."

The İYİ (Good) Party will launch a massive mobilization so that the youngsters can vote in May 14 polls, the party's chairwoman Meral Akşener has said, criticizing the government for choosing this date to avoid mass participation of the youth in the elections.

A parliamentary commission has approved a constitutional amendment package tabled by the ruling alliance that stipulates lifting restrictions against women wearing headscarf in public and private spaces, and strengthening the family structure.

A parliamentary panel has begun deliberations over the headscarf bill amid ongoing disagreements between the government and the opposition parties.

The Turkish parliament's Constitutional Commission completed the first round of the talks late Jan. 19 with the plan to continue deliberations on Jan. 24.

Meral Akşener, chairwoman of the Good (İYİ) Party, has challenged President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan on the headscarf bill by suggesting that her party will propose its own constitutional amendment to fully remove this matter from the country's agenda.

President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan has criticized the opposition parties for declining to hold talks with the ruling Justice and Development Party (AKP) to discuss a constitutional amendment package on the use of headscarf and the protection of the family institution.

İYİ (Good) Party leader Meral Akşener criticized the ruling Justice and Development Party (AKP) of planning to bring the elections forward although they had long asserted to hold the polls as scheduled in June.

The oppositional parties have rejected to hold fresh talks with the ruling Justice and Development Party (AKP) over a constitutional amendment package that seeks to remove obstacles before women wearing a headscarf in public and private spaces.