The main opposition Republican People's Party (CHP) nominated Ankara lawmaker Haluk Koç as its candidate for Parliament speaker.
Koç has been serving as the spokesperson and deputy chairman of the party since 2012.
Koç, 65, is a medical doctor from northern Samsun province and has been a deputy of the CHP since 2002.
Parliament is getting ready to elect a new Parliament speaker on July 7. According to the Turkish Constitution, there are two elections within a legislative year for the position. The speaker elected during the first elections serves in the position for two years, while the ones elected in the second elections serve until the end of the session, for three years.
The election is conducted through a secret ballot. In the first two rounds of the elections, the two-thirds rule is applied, meaning a candidate needs to receive 400 votes. In the third round, a simple majority will be considered, which is 301 votes.
If Parliament fails to provide a simple majority in the third round, there will be a fourth round for the leading two candidates only. The one who receives the most votes during the fourth round will be elected as speaker.
On June 19, the ruling Justice and Development Party (AK Party) decided to nominate the current Parliament speaker, Mustafa Şentop, for one more term.
If someone other than Şentop is elected for the position, they will be the 30th speaker of Parliament.
