One of Recep Tayyip Erdogan’s most prominent opponents has spoken from his preson to urge the Turkish opposition to seize its best chance yet to bring down the country’s president.
Selahadeen Demirtash, who led the Peoples’ Democratic Party, before his imprisonment in 2016, told the British Financial Times that a united opposition that includes the Kurds could prevent Turkey’s slide towards “dictatorship”.
Turkey moved towards an authoritarian regime, Demirtash said in response to question sent through his lawyer, adding that “if Erdogan wins this election, Turkey will move to a new kind of dictatorship.”
He added: “Erdogan managed to stay in power by dividing society. The unite of the opposition in the elections is important to win the elections.”
The votes of the Kurds in Turkey will be essential in the presidential and parliamentary elections scheduled for May 14, according to the newspaper.
The HDP has not officially joined the six-party coalition that supports CHP leader Kemal Kilijdar oghlo for president.
The Turkish president faces his toughest election test yet as the cost of living crisis and the country’s response to the February earthquake lead to a lack of support for the Justice and Development Party.
Demirtash said that Kilijdar oghlo, who belongs to the Alevi sect in the Sunni-majority country and was born in a Kurdish-majority province, was “making sincere efforts for change and democracy” and said: “The Kurds “optimistic” about Kilijdar oghlo’s campaign, decision. decision.”but would wait and see how things turned out before making a
