Main opposition Republican People’s Party (CHP) leader Özgür Özel on Jan. 26 hosted Felicity Party (SP) chair Mahmut Arıkan in Ankara to kick off a week-long diplomatic tour aimed at consolidating opposition sentiment.
During a joint press conference following the meeting, Özel renewed his push for early elections, criticizing the governing coalition for ignoring what he described as a deepening national crisis.
He criticized Nationalist Movement Party (MHP) leader Devlet Bahçeli, a pivotal ally of President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan, over rejecting the CHP’s calls for a snap vote.
"Mr. Bahçeli is closing the door to early elections at a time when the nation is most dissatisfied with this government, when the economic crisis is at its peak... and when poverty, unemployment and precarity have reached an unbearable point," Özel said.
"If he were to open the door to early elections today, pensioners would be saved, minimum wage earners would be saved, farmers would be saved, tradesmen would be saved and civil servants would be saved."
The CHP has been campaigning for an early vote since March, following the arrest of the party's presidential candidate and Istanbul Mayor Ekrem İmamoğlu on corruption charges. National elections are not officially scheduled until 2028.
The meeting with Arıkan marks the start of a high-stakes week for Özel. He is scheduled to meet on Jan. 29 with Peoples' Equality and Democracy Party (DEM Party) co-chairs Tülay Hatimoğulları and Tuncer Bakırhan. His itinerary also includes a Jan. 29 visit to İYİ (Good) Party leader Müsavat Dervişoğlu and a Jan. 30 meeting with New Welfare Party (YRP) chair Fatih Erbakan.
