*This story has been updated.
The left-wing Labour and Freedom Alliance in Turkey reached a consensus to enter the 14 May presidential and parliamentary elections as a united front of six parties, the parties announced after a meeting on Thursday.
Alliance members Workers’ Party of Turkey (TİP) and Labour Party (EMEP) had initially objected to the Peoples’ Democratic Party’s (HDP) proposal to enter under a single list, instead favouring a model where constituents could put up separate candidates in certain provinces, but later agreed to the united list.
The past week saw some disagreement between TİP and the HDP, the former an up-and-coming socialist party and the latter the second largest opposition bloc and the largest pro-Kurdish party in the country.
TİP MP Sera Kadıgil said in a live broadcast on Tuesday that in provinces such as the central Konya and western Muğla, the alliance should run with candidates “in the way that most benefits all of us”. Kadıgil also said the TİP would “not cost the HDP a single seat”, and that the party’s voter base did not coincide with the HDP’s.
The HDP, on the other hand, had decided during Wednesday’s central executive committee meeting that it would propose the single-list. The party also agreed to postpone the decision of which alliance member the joint candidates would run under, due to an ongoing case at the Constitutional Court to shut it down.
The alliance will focus on creating advantageous positions for all members, they said in the final declaration. The decisions in the meeting were made “with the understanding of historic and political responsibility that will construct a democratic and free future”, they said.
The parties will hold a press conference “as soon as possible” to announce the agreed upon attitude for the presidential election. While they left the door open to lend alliance support to the main opposition leader and presidential challenger Kemal Kılıçdaroğlu, the bloc may also put up its own candidate. The final decision is expected after Kılıçdaroğlu’s visit to the HDP on 18 March.
The full statement released after the meeting is as follows:
“On 16 March 2023, we, the Co-chairs, Presidents, and Spokespersons of the Labourist Movement Party (EHP), Labour Party (EMEP), Peoples’ Democratic Party (HDP), Federation of Socialist Assemblies (SMF), Workers’ Party of Turkey (TİP), and Social Freedom Party (TÖP) – members of the Labour and Freedom Alliance – gathered in Ankara to discuss important agenda items, including the recent earthquake and flood disasters, the deepening crises, and our stance in the upcoming presidential and parliamentary elections.
On this day, we remember the Halabja and Beyazıt Massacres and reiterate our commitment to creating a society where such tragedies never occur again, where the culture of confrontation is replaced by dialogue, and where justice is established in all areas of life.
The government’s anti-people, rent-seeking, and plunder-based policies threaten the present and future of our society, exacerbating the crises we face. The recent earthquakes in Maraş Pazarcık on 6 February and floods in Urfa and Adıyaman on 15 March are tragic consequences of these policies. We categorically reject any attempts to dismiss these disasters as ‘natural’ or ‘inevitable’ and pledge to hold to account those responsible, to build a new life that respects human dignity, and to replace the current government and its disastrous policies with a more just and sustainable alternative. As the Alliance of Labour and Freedom, we stand united in our commitment to achieving these goals.
We stand on the brink of an election that will shape the future of Turkey. As leaders of our respective parties and as members of the broader Alliance of Labour and Freedom, with the awareness of our historical and political responsibility to channel the hopes and aspirations of our society and to work towards a future that is truly democratic and free:
– We have decided to expand our alliance of struggle into an electoral alliance, which we will call the Alliance of Labour and Freedom. Our aim is to protect and develop the gains made by all members of the alliance, especially the HDP. Technical work will be carried out to ensure this.
– One of the items on our agenda was the presidential election. We had previously decided to re-evaluate the process of determining the presidential candidate following the earthquake. We held a broad discussion and will announce our common position at a press conference as soon as possible.
– Despite the increasing political bans, lawsuits, violence, and oppression, we will continue our joint efforts with all segments of society to ensure the election process and ballot security.
– We will draw strength from the women who painted the streets purple on 8 March and fill the Newroz and 1 May squares with their energy. Together with all democratic forces, we will win on 15 May and put an end to the one-man regime. We will achieve this through solidarity, struggle, and hope.
