Presidential election in Turkey: no candidate for the pro-Kurdish HDP party

Supporters of the pro-Kurdish HDP party celebrate Nowruz in Istanbul, March 19, 2023. © Francisco Seco / AP

Text by: RFI Follow

1 min

Seven weeks before the presidential and parliamentary elections on May 14 in Turkey, the Peoples' Democratic Party (HDP), the main party of the pro-Kurdish left, gave up on Wednesday, March 22, 2023 to present a candidate against Recep Tayyip Erdogan. This is a strong indirect support for his main rival, Kemal Kiliçdaroglu, himself supported by an opposition alliance. The HDP represents around 10% of the electorate.

Advertising

Read more

From our correspondent in Istanbul, Anne Andlauer

The news is not a surprise, but it relieves a large part of the opponents of Recep Tayyip Erdogan. The HDP, the second largest opposition party in the Turkish Parliament, announced that it was "taking its historic responsibilities against the one-man government" by not putting forward a candidate against the current president.

The decision was announced on behalf of the left-wing alliance to which the HDP belongs, without this alliance explicitly calling for a vote for its main rival, Social Democrat Kemal Kiliçdaroglu.

The unknown of the legislative elections

However, this support is implicit: HDP leaders, starting with its former imprisoned leader Selahattin Demirtas, have welcomed in recent weeks the candidacy of Kemal Kiliçdaroglu, perceived as more sensitive than others to the fate of minorities, notably the Kurds.

There remains the unknown of the legislative elections, which will be held at the same time as the presidential election. The HDP is facing a ban trial and does not yet know if it will be able to participate under its own colours. The Constitutional Court refused on Wednesday to postpone the date of the next hearing, scheduled for April 11, until after the elections.

► Read also: Kemal Kiliçdaroglu, the "Turkish Gandhi" against Erdogan

Newsletter Receive all the international news directly in your mailbox

I subscribe

Follow all the international news by downloading the RFI application

Read on on the same topics:

  • Turkey
  • Recep Tayyip Erdogan