AK Party to request votes for stability in snap elections

As campaigns gain momentum with Turkey going to an early election on Nov. 1, the Justice and Development Party (AK Party) said on Monday that the candidate nomination process will continue until Sept. 3 with male candidates required to pay a TL 5,000 ($1,718) fee while female candidates need to pay a TL 2,500 fee.

Meanwhile, sources from AK Party headquarters said they are about to finalize the strategy that will be implemented in the upcoming elections and the new election slogan and election manifesto are expected to be announced in the AK Party congress that will take place on Sept. 12 in Ankara.

The June 7 elections did not result in a single-party government after 13 years of AK Party rule and political parties could not find a common ground to form a coalition. AK Party sources have indicated that the election campaign will focus on the importance of stability and the main slogan of the party will be: "Vote AK Party for stability."

According to a report submitted to the interim prime minister, AK Party Chairman Ahmet Davutoğlu, the party lost 25 deputies in 18 provinces with less than 1,000 votes, therefore in the election campaign the party will concentrate on these provinces, which are mainly in the Black Sea region, to recover the lost ground.

The AK Party's two main decision bodies, the Central Executive Board (MYK) and Central Decision Board (MKYK), are also expected have major changes at the AK Party congress. Reportedly, senior figures in the party who did not become candidates in the June 7 elections due to the party's three-term rule are expected to become influential in the party's decision-making bodies.