İnce refuses to withdraw from presidential race despite Kılıçdaroğlu meeting

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Kemal Kılıçdaroğlu, leader of the Republican People's Party (CHP) and the main opposition bloc's presidential candidate, visited Muharrem İnce, head of the Homeland (Memleket) Party yesterday (March 29).

İnce, a former senior CHP deputy, was the party's presidential candidate in the 2018 election. Having collected over 100,000 signatures as required, he is up for the presidency again.

Amid concerns that İnce might take away crucial votes from Kılıçdaroğlu, former CHP deputies and executives had called on İnce to withdraw from the race ahead of yesterday's meeting. He had said in response that "I'm open for negotiations."

However, after a one-hour meeting with Kılıçdaroğlu at his party's headquarters in Ankara, the capital, İnce's decision didn't change.

When asked whether he would withdraw at a joint press conference after the meeting, he said, "No, I didn't say such a thing. Everyone is shooting at us, and we'll continue to fight."

Kılıçdaroğlu, for his part, said they were working to expand their alliance. "It is my and Mr. İnce's duty to put the problems on the table and produce solutions," he said.

"This Erdoğan must go. This Erdoğan is tired and arrogant. He does not believe in reason, science and law. He should not rule this country even for five minutes," İnce remarked.

Kılıçdaroğlu and President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan are the two major candidates nominated by parties that have a group in the parliament. İnce, as well as Sinan Oğan, who represents the far-right Ancestral Alliance, became candidates after collecting over 100,000 signatures. (AEK/VK)