HDP co-leader dismisses criticism over nominating own candidate for presidency

Photo: HDP/File

Peoples' Democratic Party (HDP) Co-Chair Mithat Sancar has explained why the party has chosen to compete in the presidential elections with its own candidate.

The move was intended to create an alternative to the two main blocs in the country's politics, Sancar said during a live interview on Habertürk late yesterday (January 10).

When asked about the criticism that the party's choice would benefit the ruling alliance and President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan, Sancar said, "We don't do this for the benefit of the [ruling] AKP or to harm anyone else."

"Doing politics this way is not enough to get Türkiye out of this dark spiral. We will create an alternative," Sancar said, noting that the opposition bloc known as the "Table of Six" has yet to decide on who its candidate will be. "I don't understand why people want us to wait for this."

Pervin Buldan, the other co-leader of the party, said on January 7 that the party would soon announce its candidate.

The HDP's stance will be critical for both the parliamentary and presidential elections scheduled for June 18, as neither the ruling alliance nor the opposition bloc seem to have more than half of the electorate's support, which is required for the presidency.

The most popular party in the country's predominantly Kurdish-populated eastern and southeastern regions, the HDP's rate is about 10 percent according to polls.

The HDP leaders previously said they were open to discussing a joint candidate with the opposition based on "principles rather than names," which Sancar also recalled during the interview.

"We had said we were open for discussions for the opposition competing in the elections with a joint candidate on principles and programs that have been negotiated and agreed upon," he remarked.

Sancar further said that their voter base also wanted them to nominate a separate candidate, citing a recent survey in the region. According to the survey conducted by Spectrum House, 74 percent of the party's voters said the HDP should nominate a candidate, and 76 percent said they would vote for a candidate supported by the party. (VK)