Peoples’ Democratic Party (HDP) Co-chair Pervin Buldan refrained from openly confirming the party’s backing for Kemal Kılıçdaroğlu, Turkey’s main opposition leader and the Nation Alliance’s presidential challenger in the 14 May elections, while pointing to democracy as the party’s goal in a press briefing on Thursday.
The HDP is planning to make an official announcement on who the party will back for the presidential race later.
“We have not announced a candidate’s name yet, but our party’s position is clear: We support change and transformation in Turkey. We want democracy to prevail,” Buldan said. “It is our belief that the Turkish voters can identify who the most democratic candidate is.”
With the potential to be a kingmaker in the upcoming elections, the HDP’s stance will play a significant role in determining the country’s next president. Both President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan and challenger Kılıçdaroğlu have been polling significantly below 50 percent, making the HDP’s 10 to 15 percent vote crucial. While openly campaigning against Erdoğan, the party has remained outside of the Nation Alliance, instead forming the left-wing Labour and Democracy Alliance with several of its allies.