The meeting between Kemal Kılıçdaroğlu, leader of Turkey’s opposition Republican People’s Party (CHP) and presidential candidate for a six-party opposition alliance in the 14 May elections, and the co-chairs of the Peoples’ Democratic Party (HDP) has started today, Monday, as Artı Gerçek reports.
The meeting, long-awaited by many opposition voters in Turkey, is taking place in Ankara, but in the Turkish parliament rather than the HDP headquarters.
Kılıçdaroğlu and the HDP co-chairs were meant to meet on Saturday, but the meeting was postponed due to the busy schedules of HDP officials.
Following today’s meeting, the CHP leader and the HDP co-chairs will speak at a joint press conference in the parliament.
HDP co-chair Mithat Sancar invited Kılıçdaroğlu to HDP headquarters earlier this month, moments after the CHP leader was nominated as the presidential candidate of the six-party alliance.
The meeting is critical as Kılıçdaroğlu needs the support of Kurdish voters to defeat the current president, Recep Tayyip Erdoğan, in elections.
The HDP officials have previously stated that they will make their decision after this meeting on whether to field their own candidate or to support Kılıçdaroğlu by withdrawing from the presidential elections.
