Meral Akşener in the lose-lose trap

The tug of war between the main opposition Republican People’s Party (CHP) and the Good Party continues over the selection of a presidential candidate. My sense is that the latter faces a “lose-lose” situation.

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Meral Akşener in the lose-lose trap
Compulsion of Turkish opposition to nominate multiple candidates

Compulsion of Turkish opposition to nominate multiple candidates

Distribution of parliamentary seats could encourage various players to work closer together, and the opposition fielding multiple candidates would actually benefit the People’s Alliance

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The organizers of the gatherings in Istanbul's Saraçhane tapped into President Erdoğan’s past experiences, including his 1998 ban from politics and subsequent struggle, to write 'the Imamoğlu story,' but the real question is: Can Imamoğlu write his own story?

Issues show that the Good Party remains most vulnerable to internal and external maneuvering by the two alliances. Indeed, that movement is at the heart of identity politics and ideological faultlines, too. Until now, Akşener has not surfed successfully on those faultlines – which will become shakier as the election draws near.

President Erdoğan’s pledge to continue nurturing Türkiye’s external relations after next year’s elections seemed like a message to the West

The actual game of chess is being played by Kılıçdaroğlu and Akşener and relates to the selection of a joint presidential candidate

Previous discrepancies in 'table for six' persist, new one added

Under the circumstances, the opposition bloc has no choice but to settle all three disputes successfully.

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Previous discrepancies in 'table for six' persist new one added
The debate over the Republic in Türkiye

The debate over the Republic in Türkiye

The elections in Türkiye will coincide with the Republic’s centennial represents a theme that the various political parties and candidates will use on the campaign trail.

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'If the opposition were to win the 2023 elections, what will be the center of gravity in Turkish politics? Will the country’s political arena be organized around the CHP and the HDP or the CHP and the Good Party?'

The organization, which has nine members following Iran’s admission, recognized Egypt and Qatar as dialogue partners at the Samarkand Summit. At the same time, the SCO has launched processes related to the full membership of Belarus and granting 'dialogue partner' status to Bahrain, Kuwait, the Maldives, the United Arab Emirates (UAE) and Myanmar.

In truth, the question at hand goes beyond that. This is about who would make crucial political decisions (and how) if the opposition bloc were to win next year’s elections.

The opposition bloc is unable to present a feasible alternative for governing Türkiye despite considering themselves as the opposite of the ruling Justice and Development Party (AK Party)

Needless to say, the election is just 11 months away and the People’s Alliance does a better job at highlighting the various contradictions of the “table for six.” Following in Erdoğan’s footsteps, the Nationalist Movement Party (MHP) Chairperson Devlet Bahçeli has been criticizing the profile of the opposition’s potential candidate.

To ensure that the 2023 election competition does not lead to the alienation of any religious and ethnic groups or sects, all parties, politicians and opinion leaders in Turkey must make a special effort

With his misleading and miscalculated political discourses, the main opposition leader Kemal Kılıçdaroğlu is crossing the line that places the future of all of Turkey at risk

It remains unclear who grants legitimacy to whom around the 'table for six.' The fact that the three conservative fringe parties stand with the CHP discourages undecided conservatives from voting for them. To be on the same side with the CHP, in turn, offers minor benefits to them from other voter blocs. Furthermore, judging by the reaction of CHP supporters, anyone around the 'table for six' must accept the 'joint candidacy' of the main opposition’s candidate of choice. The fact that Kılıçdaroğlu will be that candidate, too, is about to be confirmed.

'The opposition has a democratic right to criticize the Turkish government’s refugee policy. That right, however, should be exercised without poisoning the country’s democratic culture'

It has become increasingly clear what the opposition’s 'table for six' will look like as the 2023 election approaches. In recent weeks, the Felicity Party (SP) had proposed an 'alliance within the alliance' and the Republican People’s Party (CHP) has presented eight different scenarios.

The opposition could contribute to the long-term rationalization of the alliance system by creating a program and identifying one or more candidate(s) that could take Turkey beyond the 2023 election with an eye on the balance between foreign policy, domestic politics and the economy.

The Turkish government's new diplomatic initiative with its regional and global partners is based on logic, while the opposition still has no idea why it rejects the process

The oligarchical plan proposed by the 6 +1 opposition parties can never be embraced by the Turkish electorate