The Nationalist Movement Party (MHP) will not nominate mayor candidates in Turkey's largest cities of Istanbul, Ankara and Izmir and will support the candidates of the Justice and Development Party (AK Party) as the continuation of the People's Alliance, Chairman Devlet Bahçeli said Saturday.
Bahçeli's remarks came at a three-day party in southern province of Antalya, where the party administration met with 81 province heads and 130 mayors to exchange views on party strategies for local elections slated for March 31.
The statement also coincided with the AK Party's meeting to be held later in the day in Istanbul, where President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan is expected to reveal the party's candidates for some 40 cities, including Istanbul, Ankara and Izmir.
Erdoğan and Bahçeli met Wednesday to discuss tactics to be used for local elections and the continuation of the People's Alliance, which was formed ahead of the presidential and parliamentary elections on June 24 and pushed for an election system reform that paved the way for electoral alliances beforehand. The two parties cooperated in the April 16, 2017 constitutional reform referendum that enabled a switch to the presidential system, while Erdoğan was the joint candidate of the alliance on June 24.
However, Bahçeli previously announced that the MHP would participate in the local elections in every electoral district with its own candidates and ruled out an alliance with the AK Party in local elections in a speech before the MHP's parliamentary group on Oct. 23.
Bahçeli said Saturday that it is essential for the People's Alliance to resume without accidents for the new system to continue. "We will give our full support to the candidates of the Justice and Development Party in the three metropolises whoever they might be. There are no bargains, secret deals, exchanges in this will," Bahçeli said, adding that the party will have candidates in every other place.
During the camp, Bahçeli will evaluate reports on the performances of incumbent mayors, MHP Deputy Chairman Sadi Durmaz and other deputy chairmen are expected to make presentations.
DETAILS TO FOLLOW...
