24 May 2018
Candidate lists for the upcoming parliamentary elections have been revealed, giving an insight into internal party dynamics ahead of the crucial June 24 vote
- The ruling Justice and Development Party (AKP) continues to be restructured around the leadership of President Erdogan, but remains reliant on other high-profile figures to help secure a parliamentary majority
- The leader of the main opposition Republican People’s Party (CHP) has strengthened his position as he attempts to forge a controversial alliance with other parties, but divisions over the CHP’s future remain
- The Peoples’ Democratic Party (HDP) continues to face the challenge of balancing a focus on Kurdish identity with a broader appeal to social justice
- The Nationalist Action Party (MHP) remains defined by the split over the leaderships’ support for President Erdogan, with former MHP candidates joining the newly formed Good Party (IP)
Recent changes to the Turkish constitution have substantially altered the country’s political system, but the method of allocating seats in the Grand National Assembly remains the same. Political parties designate a list of candidates for each of the 85 electoral districts, which contain up to 35 seats. These seats are then distributed in proportion to the number of votes a party receives in each district, with the candidates at the top of a party’s list selected first.
The lists are closely controlled by the party leaderships, which can shape the new parliamentary intake by elevating favoured candidates to the top of lists in safe districts or by removing others altogether in line with party priorities or internal rivalries…
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