Türkiye's governing Justice and Development Party (AK Party) is set to name its mayoral candidate for the capital, Ankara, and 47 other cities for March local elections at a program toward the end of January, local media reported Sunday.
The party was originally scheduled to make the highly anticipated announcement on Sunday but postponed it after a terrorist attack on the Turkish military in northern Iraq claimed the lives of nine soldiers, plunging the nation into mourning.
According to party sources, district mayoral candidates will be announced later as names are still not finalized, while AK Party mayors of the 11 southeastern cities struck by last year's devastating twin earthquakes will likely change.
The AK Party has reportedly ruled out re-nominating the mayors of Kahramanmaraş, the epicenter of the Feb. 6 earthquakes that killed over 52,000 people, Malatya and Adıyaman. The party is eyeing candidates that can pioneer the rejuvenation of devastated cities.
All candidates will have been revealed by the end of January when eligible political parties must submit their candidacy lists to the Supreme Election Council (YSK).
Afterward, the campaign period kicks off, with candidates free to work the field and hold promotional gatherings.
Earlier this month, the AK Party named former Minister of Environment, Urban Planning and Climate Change Murat Kurum as its candidate for Istanbul, along with candidates for 14 other metropolitan cities and 10 provinces.
Kurum is challenging the main opposition Republican People's Party (CHP) runner and incumbent mayor Ekrem Imamoğlu for Istanbul.
The AK Party will also be joining forces with its People's Alliance partner, the Nationalist Movement Party (MHP), to endorse each other's candidates in 30 metropolitan municipalities and 29 provincial municipalities for the upcoming mayoral vote.
President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan on Thursday said he and MHP leader Devlet Bahçeli met to "assess our work for elections in a sincere mood" and "discuss the progress our friends achieved," referring to meetings of AK Party and MHP officials for fielding joint candidates in some cities.
"We believe the People's Alliance will deliver a defeat to others (in the opposition) they did not expect in this election," he added.
In the aftermath of last May's general elections, the March 31 vote is a test of popular support for the CHP and the AK Party. It will show whether the fractured opposition can recoup in time and if the AK Party is still popular despite challenges.
On Wednesday, the MHP announced 55 mayoral candidates for two metropolitan cities, 12 provinces and districts in 41 cities.
