Sırrı Süreyya Önder, former MP and current candidate for the Green Left Party (YSP), said in an interview on Friday that Kurdish voters could “lose willingness” to support the joint opposition candidate if Turkey’s presidential elections go for a second round.
“I have a request and a warning for left-wing and social democrat voters: Do not break the Kurd’s favour. If there is a second round, and if Kurdish voters feel the solidarity they have displayed has not been reciprocated, they could lose willingness,” Önder said.
Turkey’s Kurdish population is estimated at 15 to 20 percent, and the Kurdish vote is divided between the ruling Justice and Development Party (AKP) and the Peoples’ Democratic Party (HDP), which is fielding its parliamentary candidates under the YSP in the upcoming elections.
Önder, who served as an MP from the HDP during critical times in the country’s recent history, said Kurds had shown great favour for presidential hopeful Kemal Kılıçdaroğlu, showing up en masse to his rallies in provinces with the highest HDP votes.
“We as the YSP have posed no demands, concessions or negotiations, showing our important and historic support so this business could be concluded in the first round, while only demanding a democratic transformation,” Önder said. “But the Kurds are a more emotional people than others.”
The pro-Kurdish politician had made similar comments in a previous interview, telling news website Duvar that the voter turn out in the second round “could only be threatened by a stingy support in the first round, i.e., the parliamentary elections”.
“The main reason we did not field a candidate was that we want this to be done in the first round,” Önder said. “And it appears that this is a close possibility.”
Some 60 million voters will go to polls on 14 May to elect Turkey’s next government and president. If none of the presidential candidates win over 50 percent of the vote, elections will repeat on 28 May. Currently, incumbent president Recep Tayyip Erdoğan and main opposition leader Kemal Kılıçdaroğlu appear head to head in polls.
