Turkish opposition Nation Alliance to enter elections under two parties

Turkey’s main opposition bloc Nation Alliance, consisting of six parties, will enter the May 14 parliamentary election under the Republican People’s Party (CHP) and Good (İYİ) Party lists.

The other four parties, Felicity Party, Democrat Party, Democracy and Progress (DEVA) Party, and Future Party, will nominate their deputy candidates from the main opposition CHP list.

The parties submitted the new protocol to the Supreme Election Council (YSK) on April 7. The deadline to submit the names of the deputy candidates to the YSK is April 9.

Speaking in front of the YSK, CHP deputy chair Muharrem Erkek said “Today we submitted an additional protocol to the electoral alliance. The CHP and İYİ Party will participate in the elections with their own logos. The other four parties will enter the elections from the CHP list.”

Competing in the parliamentary election under a joint list within an alliance is regarded as more advantageous in Turkey’s d’Hondt electoral method.

On the other hand, the far-right Nationalist Movement Party (MHP) of the ruling People’s Alliance submitted their deputy candidate list for all 81 provinces to the YSK on April 6. If the MHP will not change the list until April 9, the ruling People’s Alliance, including the Justice and Development Party (AKP), will not be able to compete in the election with a joint list, meaning all parties in the alliance will enter the election with their own logos. However, this does not mean the alliance will dissolve.

Aside from People’s and Nation alliances, the Labor and Freedom Alliance consisting of several leftist parties including the Peoples’ Democratic Party (HDP) and Workers’ Party of Turkey (TİP) will compete in the parliamentary election.