Turkey's pro-Kurdish party, the Peoples' Democratic Party (HDP), has emerged as a key player in the country's upcoming election, potentially tipping the balance to unseat President Recep Tayyip Erdogan.
In a significant move, the HDP announced last month that it would not field its own presidential candidate, allowing its supporters to vote for Erdogan's main rival, Kemal Kilicdaroglu of the Republican People's Party (CHP). The decision was seen as a strategic play by the HDP, which has been under pressure from the Turkish government.
The HDP's influence is crucial in determining the outcome of the election, given its significant support base among Turkey's Kurdish population. Kurds make up between 15% and 20% of the country's population, making them one of the largest minority groups.
However, the HDP's position is precarious due to a court case that could potentially close it down for suspected ties to the militant Kurdistan Workers' Party (PKK). Despite this threat, analysts believe the party may still be able to influence the outcome of the election.
Analysts say the decision not to field its own candidate allows the HDP's supporters to vote for Kilicdaroglu, Erdogan's main rival. The HDP's former leader, Selahattin Demirtas, has been in prison for nearly seven years and is seen as an influential figure.
The Turkish government has been trying to link the HDP to the PKK but has so far failed to prove a real connection. Many Kurdish voters have recently left Erdogan's camp, creating space for the opposition.
A post-Erdogan Turkey may give some breathing space to the Kurds and Kurdish-dominated parties in Turkey. The HDP's leader, deputy co-chair Hisyar Ozsoy, said his party understands what’s at stake, not only for Turkey's Kurds but for all its minorities.
The HDP is aware of its responsibility here and role, Ozsoy added. The party knows it is in a kingmaker position.
In a significant move, the HDP announced last month that it would not field its own presidential candidate, allowing its supporters to vote for Erdogan's main rival, Kemal Kilicdaroglu of the Republican People's Party (CHP). The decision was seen as a strategic play by the HDP, which has been under pressure from the Turkish government.
The HDP's influence is crucial in determining the outcome of the election, given its significant support base among Turkey's Kurdish population. Kurds make up between 15% and 20% of the country's population, making them one of the largest minority groups.
However, the HDP's position is precarious due to a court case that could potentially close it down for suspected ties to the militant Kurdistan Workers' Party (PKK). Despite this threat, analysts believe the party may still be able to influence the outcome of the election.
Analysts say the decision not to field its own candidate allows the HDP's supporters to vote for Kilicdaroglu, Erdogan's main rival. The HDP's former leader, Selahattin Demirtas, has been in prison for nearly seven years and is seen as an influential figure.
The Turkish government has been trying to link the HDP to the PKK but has so far failed to prove a real connection. Many Kurdish voters have recently left Erdogan's camp, creating space for the opposition.
A post-Erdogan Turkey may give some breathing space to the Kurds and Kurdish-dominated parties in Turkey. The HDP's leader, deputy co-chair Hisyar Ozsoy, said his party understands what’s at stake, not only for Turkey's Kurds but for all its minorities.
The HDP is aware of its responsibility here and role, Ozsoy added. The party knows it is in a kingmaker position.
...I mean, what even is that? It's like they're trying to sacrifice their own interests for the sake of "unity" and "stability"...give me a break! 
The real question is, are they doing this because they actually believe it'll help them win or just because Erdogan told them to? 
Either way, I think it's super suspicious. And don't even get me started on the whole court case thing...if they're really that concerned about being "closed down", why not take a stand and fight for what's right instead of playing it safe? 
, you guys know how passionate i am about politics lol. so like the peoples democratic party (hdp) deciding not to field their own candidate for president is def a game changer 
, it's like they're playing both sides against each other and i am here for it.
, so this whole situation hits close to home. my grandma has been keeping up with the news and she's like "don't trust the government" you know how that is lol.
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, it's not fair that he can't even participate in this election. the hdp's decision to let their supporters vote for kilicdaroglu is kinda a big deal, especially considering the whole pkk connection 
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, but one thing's for sure - i'll be glued to my screen waiting for those election results 
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I mean think about it if the HDP doesn't field their own candidate it's like they're saying we trust these other parties to represent us 
Erdogan's been super harsh on them in the past so I'm curious to see how this all plays out 
. And let's be real, Kilicdaroglu is like nothin' compared to Erdogan, the dude's like a whole different person 
. This could be the start of somethin big, especially if the Turkish government finally starts treatin' everyone fairly and not just Erdogan 
. Bring on a post-Erdogan Turkey, I'm all in 
I'm thinking the HDP's strategic move to not field their own candidate might actually work in their favour 
, maybe this gives the opposition a chance? 
. i think this is a smart move, it shows they're willing to take a calculated risk for the sake of their party and their people 
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the hdp's decision to step aside as a candidate candidate 
. it's all about maximizing their influence and staying relevant in turkish politics 
. i think it's great that hisyar ozsoy is taking responsibility for the hdp's actions, being honest about what's at stake for all of turkey's minorities 
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. He's been in power for too long, and he knows exactly what he's doing. The HDP's trying to play both sides here, but it's all just a bit of clever politics 
. Still, you can't deny that this election is gonna be super interesting... especially if the Kurds end up having more say in Turkey's future 
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. But hey, maybe they're just trying to be all selfless and stuff 
. Of course, we all know there's some uncertainty around this whole situation - that court case looming over the HDP is like a dark cloud 
- but I genuinely believe Ozsoy and co are on top of it 
. I mean, come on, the gov is already trying to link them to the PKK, and now they're basically saying "hey, we're not running a presidential candidate"... sounds like a total cop-out 
. The Kurds are the largest minority group in Turkey and they deserve way more representation than this 
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but on the other hand i can see why the hdp made this move, gotta keep the vote count up and all that 
it's a tricky situation and only time will tell how things go down in turkey
! Can you imagine? The Turkish government is trying to shut down the HDP but it looks like they're just fueling the fire 
. But what's next? Will the opposition be able to keep the peace or is this gonna get even more intense? 
. And let's not forget, Kurds make up like 15-20% of Turkey's population, so they're definitely a key player in this whole thing 
. It'll be interesting to see how things play out, especially with the HDP potentially taking on a kingmaker role 
. The HDP's influence among Kurdish voters could make all the difference, especially if they can keep the PKK connection thing off their backs 
. It's crazy to think about, but maybe a post-Erdogan Turkey will finally give some room for Kurds and other minority groups to breathe 
!