CHP's İnce will form cabinet if elected, party chairman says


Main opposition Republican People's Party (CHP) Chairman Kemal Kılıçdaroğlu said on Thursday that if their presidential candidate Muharrem İnce wins the June 24 elections, the party will not interfere and suggest any names for cabinet.

"He will form his own cabinet. I think he will visit political party leaders and receive their opinion one by one," Kılıçdaroğlu said in a televised interview. On June 24, Turkish citizens will go to the ballot boxes for both presidential and parliamentary elections.

On May 4, the center-left CHP announced İnce, the party's deputy of the northwestern province of Yalova, as its candidate for the presidential race.

A strong rival against current Kılıçdaroğlu from within the party, İnce comes from a moderate conservative background. The 53-year-old deputy is also portrayed as a populist and a pragmatic figure.

İnce previously pledged to appoint ministers from all political fractions to cabinet if he will get elected president in the June 24 elections. "There will be people from all parties in cabinet.

I will unite Turkey," İnce said on on Thursday at a meeting in western İzmir province, a CHP stronghold.

Earlier this week, the CHP candidate also said yesterday that he would offer Felicity Party (SP) chairman and the Good Party (İP) chairwoman the vice presidential posts if he is elected as president.

"If I win, I will offer them the vice presidential posts," İnce told reporters in Istanbul, referring to SP Chairman Temel Karamollaoğlu and the İP Chairwoman Meral Akşener.