Turkey’s IYIP leader leaves opposition coalition, deals serious blow
QAMISHLI, Syria (North Press) – In a surprise twist, Turkey’s nationalist Good Party (IYIP), leader Meral Aksener, has taken her party out of the National Alliance, an opposition coalition to Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan and his Justice and Development Party (AKP) in the upcoming parliamentary and presidential elections.
Yesterday, March 3, Aksener publically stated that the other parties within the six-member opposition coalition were no longer working for the Turkish people, but for their own gain. It is likely a reaction to the National Alliance’s new leadership.
On Monday March 6, Kemal Kilicdaroglu, the leader of the Republican People’s Party (CHP), Turkey’s main opposition party, is set to be declared the coalition’s candidate for the presidential elections on May 14.
Provocatively, Aksener asked two other CHP heavy-hitters – the mayors of Istanbul and Ankara – to declare their own candidacy in direct defiance of their own party. Both men were quick to stand behind Kilicdaroglu. The CHP leader is markedly more liberal than his fellow party members. Out of the three CHP men, he also polls weakest against Erdogan in a head-to-head (though most pollsters say Kilicdaroglu would come out on top).
In a response posted to Twitter mere hours after Aksener’s remarks, Kilicdaroglu hit back against the IYIP leader, saying that the coalition’s talks “shouldn’t have been the place for political games, impoliteness, or the language of Erdogan …Those who leave it, leave only for this reason.”
The four junior partners to the coalition – all of which are polling at under 1% in the parliamentary elections being held on the same day – have released statements standing firm with Kilicdaroglu and the National Alliance. A few members of IYIP also quit the party in protest.
Aksener’s move is likely to hit the National Alliance hard. Recent polls promise a close race for the parliament and the presidency. Around 10-20% of the electorate said they would vote for IYIP in the parliamentary elections.
According to Turkish political analysts, Kilicdaroglu will likely fill the hole left by the nationalist party with more liberal or even left-wing parties. Some say the pro-Kurdish HDP party may find a seat at the table.
A recent opinion piece in the Hurriyet daily alleged that the HDP would not join the opposition coalition, but would refrain from putting forward their own candidate for the presidency, and support Kilicdaroglu.
The HDP is the third-largest opposition party, polling at around 10%. Aksener had repeatedly rejected collaborating with the party.
Aksener’s end-game is as yet unclear. She has made a career out of criticizing the Turkish president; most IYIP politicians are disgruntled former members of the far-right MHP, Erdogan’s junior coalition partner. She has ruled out running in the presidential elections herself, and would hardly have a winning chance.
However, she may yet leave a large enough dent in the opposition coalition to allow Erdogan to clinch another win. It is an open secret that the Turkish president has been courting IYIP to form part of his nationalist ruling coalition.
The current AKP-MHP partnership is unlikely to get a majority of the vote in May. If Aksener were to direct her electorate towards voting for Erdogan in the presidential elections, her party may receive some important seats in parliament. With just over two months to go, it is clear Turkey’s voters are in for a few more political twists and turns.
Reporting by Sasha Hoffman