One more step towards a new victory for Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan?

The alliance of six opposition parties split on Friday March 3 over the choice of a common candidate to face the outgoing head of state in the presidential election on May 14.

The Turkish leader, in power for twenty years and candidate for his own succession, announced Wednesday to maintain the presidential and legislative elections on the scheduled date, despite the devastating earthquake of February 6, which killed more than 45,000 people.

The Good Party (nationalist), the second most important formation of the opposition alliance, refused to line up behind the candidacy of Kemal Kiliçdaroglu, the leader of the Republican People's Party (CHP, social democrat), the main opposition party.

And this while the investiture of Kemal Kiliçdaroglu must be formalized on Monday.

Ekrem Imamoglu and Mansur Yavas called for help

In a televised address, the founder and president of the Good Party, Meral Aksener, deplored the choice of Kemal Kiliçdaroglu, considering that it resulted from "small calculations" contrary to the general interest of the Turks.

To take the helm of the "Table of Six" (the nickname of the opposition alliance), this rare female opposition figure has called on the popular mayors of Istanbul and Ankara, Ekrem Imamoglu and Mansur Yavas , both members of the CHP, to present themselves.

"Our nation loves you, our nation wants you," she said after a meeting with her party's executives.

>> To read: The mayor of Istanbul, Ekrem Imamoglu, sentenced to more than two years in prison

While supporting "its president" Kemal Kiliçdaroglu, Mansur Yavas said he was ready on Tuesday to fulfill his "duty" if the alliance asked him to.

Ekrem Imamoglu, meanwhile, on Friday reiterated his support for a candidacy by the head of the CHP.

"Don't worry, everything will be back to normal," Kemal Kiliçdaroglu told reporters on Friday.

"We will continue on our way".

"Gift to Erdogan"

"The rejection of (the candidacy of) Kiliçdaroglu by Aksener is a serious blow to the prospects of the opposition. It has given Erdogan a nice gift", judge Anthony Skinner, independent analyst and expert on Turkey.

For some of the opposition supporters, Kemal Kiliçdaroglu, a 74-year-old former senior civil servant from the Alevi minority, suffers from a lack of charisma in the face of the head of state, who willingly appears as a man. strong.

>> To see: Earthquake in Turkey: President Erdogan under fire from critics

But Recep Tayyip Erdogan will have to answer for the slow relief in the hours following the February 6 earthquake, as well as the lack of anticipation of seismic risks by his government.

Shortcomings that Kemal Kiliçdaroglu did not fail to point out, denouncing "incompetence" and corruption at the head of the country.

As for the pro-Kurdish left party HDP, kept away from the opposition alliance, it has not yet announced a candidate for the presidency, and looks favorably on the candidacy of Kemal Kiliçdaroglu.

With AFP

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