The six-party opposition coalition said they have determined the presidential candidate during its 12th meeting on Thursday and would announce it on Monday as critical elections in Türkiye loom just months ahead.
The six allied opposition parties are running out of time, bickering about everything from policy and strategy to which candidate to field against incumbent President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan.
The opposition is formed by the Republican People's Party (CHP), Felicity Party (SP), Good Party (IP), Future Party (GP), Democrat Party (DP) and the Democracy and Progress Party (DEVA).
The SP hosted Thursday’s meeting and will host another meeting on Monday, according to a joint statement released after Thursday's five-hour meeting.
The statement noted that the six-party coalition has reached an agreement on a joint candidate and the transition process.
The risks around Istanbul Mayor Ekrem Imamoğlu because of a judicial process have turned Kılıçdaroğlu into the most likely candidate to stand against President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan.
But the 74-year-old former civil servant's failure to light up opinion polls has caused divisions within the six opposition parties.
On the other side, during a recent interview on Fox TV, Mansur Yavaş said that he would accept the duty of presidential candidate if the coalition would decide so.
This year's elections were supposed to take place in June, but ruling party members said that month would coincide with summer and religious holidays, prompting an earlier date. Erdoğan indicated this week that elections would take place on May 14, despite the massive twin earthquakes that devastated the country's south on Feb. 6.
"The people will, God willing and as the time draws near, do what is necessary on May 14," Erdoğan said.
His comments came after speculation that the presidential and parliamentary elections might be delayed, given the scale of the destruction after the quakes that killed over 50,000 people in Türkiye and Syria.
A delegation from Türkiye's Supreme Election Council (YSK) started a mission Monday to the quake zone to report on the voters' situation and election security.
Ankara faces a huge challenge in repairing the immense destruction caused by the earthquake and subsequent powerful tremors, which left millions sheltering in tents or seeking to move to other cities.
The Nationalist Movement Party (MHP) and the ruling Justice and Development Party (AK Party) are partners under the People's Alliance, with Erdoğan serving as the alliance's candidate for the upcoming presidential elections.
