The Justice and Development Party (AK Party) and the Nationalist Movement Party (MHP) have been evaluating the expansion of the People's Alliance they have in place for the March 31 local elections to the municipal council elections with jointly compiled lists.

According to a report in Milliyet daily published Thursday, during the meeting between AK Party Chairman Recep Tayyip Erdoğan and MHP Chairman Devlet Bahçeli on Wednesday, the formula intending to obtain the majority in the municipal councils was brought to the table.

The formula is based on gaining the majority in the electoral districts, where heated competition is expected for municipal seats against candidates of the Nation Alliance, by combining their efforts to prevent the loss of votes due to the 10 percent election threshold.

The People's Alliance was formed by the AK Party and the MHP ahead of the June 24 elections. As the elections proved the alliance's success, the two parties agreed to cooperate in 30 municipalities for the upcoming municipal elections.

However, as the meeting was held before Feb. 19, the due date for handing over candidate lists to Turkey's Supreme Election Board (YSK), the two parties are also pondering expanding the extent of the alliance by entering local elections with more joint candidates in provinces and districts.

Meanwhile, the MHP is celebrating its 50th anniversary in the Mediterranean city of Adana today with the participation of Bahçeli. Speaking at an event organized in southern Adana province to mark the anniversary of the MHP's founding, the party's Deputy Chair Semih Yalçın said the People's Alliance was formed as a national project to guarantee Turkey's well-being instead of gaining political or personal interests. "The People's Alliance, which was initiated by MHP leader Devlet Bahçeli and AK Party leader Recep Tayyip Erdoğan, has been internalized by our nation," he said.