For what it is worth, the CHP-led National Alliance was an exemplary political experiment. Today,
Meral Akşener broke ranks with five other opposition parties that formed “Table of Six” on March 3 and said her party would not support main opposition Republican People’s Party (CHP) leader Kemal Kılıçdaroğlu as the joint candidate. She stated that her party wanted CHP Istanbul Mayor (İBB) Ekrem İmamoğlu or CHP Ankara Mayor Mansur Yavaş to be nominated as the joint candidate[1]
Akşener’s move is a full-scale betrayal. In the end, her far-right nationalist instincts played for Erdoğan’s hands. However, I do not feel despair at all. CHP and others hesitated to ally with pro-Kurdish HDP because of Akşener’s nationalist party. Now all nationalists can go to hell, and the rest of the citizens can ally against the ruling party. The opposition may lose; after today’s developments, we do not know how Akşener’s voter base will act, and there is more uncertainty. Still, it does not look too good for the opposition. Why am I not in despair? Because, after all that happened, if the citizens vote for Erdoğan, this is what we deserve, and I respect and accept the saddening result.
Key opposition ally refuses to back CHP’s Kılıçdaroğlu election, leaves alliance
‘Whoever breaks the ranks of Table of Six will be trapped under it’
Erdoğan says elections to be held May 14 despite quake
After what feels like centuries, we're in the final straight at last: Meral Akşener's Good (İYİ) Party says this Thursday will be the day the main opposition alliance picks its candidate to stand against Recep Tayyip Erdoğan.
It's almost certain to be Kemal Kılıçdaroğlu. https://t.co/ucPW7DvG8I
— JamesInTurkey.com (@jamesinturkey) February 28, 2023
Meral Akşener, the leader of Turkey’s nationalist IYI Party, just announced that she disagrees with the main opposition alliance’s nomination of Kemal Kılıçdaroğlu (CHP) as presidential candidate. “It does not reflect people’s will”, she said. pic.twitter.com/F01t0ZCkDH
— Julia Hahn (@juliahahntv) March 3, 2023
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