Filenews 4 March 2023
Tayyip Erdoğan is in trouble due to the deadly earthquake of February 6. On the other hand, it seems that the opposition parties gave him an unexpected gift by breaking their alliance due to the fact that they could not reach an agreement on the presidential candidate who would stand as the Sultan's opponent.
Moreover, the Turkish president's strategy not to move the elections beyond May 14th seems to be correct, as the candidate of the "alliance of 5" now after Aksener's departure, will not have been able to develop the right momentum to stand up to Tayyip Erdogan.
The split of the "alliance of 6"
Tensions erupted in the opposition coalition as the six parties tried to agree on a candidate to stand up to Erdogan. If the parties fail to overcome their disagreements and grievances in the coming days, it is very likely that this will turn in favour of the Turkish president who is vulnerable due to inflation and earthquakes.
The rift threatening the cohesion of the opposition group opened with Aksener's departure. The leader of the right-wing Good Party announced that she would leave the alliance, saying she "has lost the ability to represent the will of the nation".
Aksener's proposal that brought about the split
During the meeting of the group of six, Aksener expressed her preference for Ankara Mayor Mansur Yavas or Istanbul Mayor Ekrem Imamoglu instead of the head of the main opposition party, Kemal Kilinctaroglu, who is expected to be nominated as a presidential candidate by the opposition group of parties.
One of the central dilemmas for the opposition was whether to support Kilicdaroglu, who has been the leader of the centre-left Republican People's Party (CHP) for more than a decade, over Istanbul Mayor Ekrem Imamoglu.
But analysts question Kilicdaroglu's ability to pose a real challenge to Erdogan. According to recent opinion polls, only 40% of the Turkish population was satisfied with his election as the main leader of the opposition.
Many believe that Imamoglu, 52, who ended 25 years of AKP omnipotence in Istanbul when he was elected in 2019, could be a strong candidate in an Erdogan who counts one blow after another.
Does Aksener shake hands with Erdogan?
Aksener's next steps are quite important for Turkey's political scene. She has said she has been under a lot of pressure not to accept Kilicdaroglu's candidacy.
The leader of the main opposition himself reacted quite calmly and without tensions, but hinted that the problem with Aksener will be settled by Monday when the official announcement of the Alliance for its presidential candidate will be made.
On the other hand, there are reports that Aksener is not excluded from joining the Alliance that President Erdoğan is building. Although the aforementioned scenario is not very likely, such an alliance would help Erdogan win the elections.
Source: philenews/in.gr
