Main opposition leader visits Democrat Party

Main opposition Republican People’s Party (CHP) leader Kemal Kılıçdaroğlu paid a courtesy visit to Gültekin Uysal, the head of the minor opposition Democrat Party (DP) on May 18.

“Subjects such as finding a joint presidential candidate were not discussed in the meeting. We discussed what we did in the referendum process. We do not have an agenda of designating a candidate so soon. We are looking to the future,” Kılıçdaroğlu said after the one-hour visit at the DP headquarters in Ankara.

Like the CHP, the DP also stood against the constitutional amendments passed narrowly in last month’s referendum on shifting Turkey to an executive presidential system.

Kılıçdaroğlu had previously stressed that the CHP’s future roadmap against the constitutional amendment includes coordination across the different segments of society and politics that voted against the charter.

He said on May 10 that his party would work to consolidate the 49 percent who voted against the amendments and would work to reach different parts of the political spectrum.

Speaking to reporters about the possibility of the CHP determining a joint candidate to challenge President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan in the 2019 election, Kılıçdaroğlu underlined the CHP’s continued opposition to the constitutional amendment.

“The Republic of Turkey is not a state that can be handed over to one person. It would be disastrous for a country to be handed over to one man. There are many examples of that,” he said.

“The republic was established within the democratic parliamentary system. We want it to continue like this,” he added.

The CHP leader is due to visit the Peoples’ Democratic Party (HDP), the Homeland Party (VP) and the Freedom and Solidarity Party (ÖDP), as well as non-governmental organizations that supported the “no” campaign, in the coming period.

He visited Felicity Party (SP) leader Temel Karamollaoğlu on May 12.