Chairman of the ruling Justice and Development Party (AK Party), President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan, and Nationalist Movement Party (MHP) Chairman Devlet Bahçeli will hold a joint rally in the capital Ankara for the local elections slated for March 31, AK Party's Ankara mayor candidate, Mehmet Özhaseki, said yesterday.

Speaking to broadcaster CNN Türk, Özhaseki said the two leaders will hold a meeting in the capital even though there no precise date has been determined yet. He added that some mayoral candidates could be removed in some provinces, including southeastern Hakkari and Şırnak and eastern Iğdır as a part of the alliance strategy, and the two components of the alliance are also evaluating to expand the scope of the cooperation for more provinces and districts. Stressing that several surveys were conducted to evaluate the tendencies of the people, Özhaseki said if the results weigh against the two parties, the parties will take the necessary measures to satisfy the needs of the people.

The AK Party also plans on holding a series of election rallies in 52 provinces. According to the draft meeting plan, the public rallies will begin Feb. 15-16.

First, the party will prioritize provinces where it fielded mayoral candidates, while Erdoğan is expected to attend rallies held by its People's Alliance partner, the MHP. Speaking at an event yesterday, Foreign Minister Mevlüt Çavuşoğlu also said that the alliance formed between the AK Party and MHP serves the purposes of the people.