The Nationalist Movement Party (MHP) Chairperson Devlet Bahçeli called on the main opposition Republican People’s Party (CHP)-led bloc to announce their candidate for the 2023 presidential elections, as he criticized them for delaying the process.
Speaking at his party’s parliamentary group meeting in the capital Ankara, Bahçeli said the People’s Alliance’s candidate has been determined a long time ago, as he accused the opposition Nation Alliance of fearing to come up with a candidate.
The People’s Alliance is led by the ruling Justice and Development Party (AK Party) and has announced Recep Tayyip Erdoğan as its presidential candidate.
The MHP leader continued by saying that the opposition bloc has been speculating about candidates, which he claimed indicates that they are waiting for approval of “outside actors.”
“When will your corrupt candidate emerge? What are you waiting for? Are you waiting for instructions?” Bahçeli said, adding that their bloc is incapable of naming a candidate to rule Turkey.
Back in 2021, CHP Chairperson Kemal Kılıçdaroğlu stated that he would be the presidential candidate if the Nation Alliance nominates him.
The opposition alliance pledges to bring back the parliamentary system and some of the president’s power would be transferred back again to Parliament.
It has been more than four years since Turkey switched from a parliamentary system to the current presidential system after the majority of Turkish voters opted to create the new system. Turkish voters narrowly endorsed an executive presidency in the April 16, 2017 referendum with 51.4% of the votes in favor.
Consisting of the CHP, the Good Party (IP), conservative Felicity Party (SP) and the center-right Democrat Party (DP), the Nation Alliance has been focusing its policies on anti-Erdoğan rhetoric and has experienced internal problems mainly due to veiled cooperation with the pro-PKK Peoples’ Democratic Party (HDP).
Meanwhile, Bahçeli also praised Turkey’s efforts to find a solution to the Russia-Ukraine war, as he said Turkey is the only country that can contribute to permanent peace.
“Turkey is not ambivalent and has a clear stance about peace,” Bahçeli said, adding that he has full faith that Turkey will greatly contribute to the establishment of peace in the Russia-Ukraine war.
President Vladimir Putin on Monday said he continues to trust in Istanbul peace talks with Ukraine and he would hold talks with Turkish President Erdoğan on the matter.
Turkey has been one of the countries leading efforts to find a diplomatic solution to the ongoing Russian invasion of Ukraine, which has impacted millions of civilians. Turkey hosted peace talks between Ukraine and Russia to find a common ground for a cease-fire. Erdoğan said the meeting in Istanbul had given "meaningful impetus" to efforts to end the war in Ukraine and has been reiterating his proposal to bring together Zelenskyy and Putin at a meeting in Turkey.
Ankara also hosted the foreign ministers of Russia and Ukraine in Antalya last month. Foreign Ministers Sergey Lavrov of Russia and Dmytro Kuleba of Ukraine met for talks in the Turkish resort town of Antalya, which Çavuşoğlu also attended. The talks were largely inconclusive, but Ankara considers the fact that they took place at all a success.
