ANKARA: Turkiye’s anti-immigrant Victory Party leader endorsed opposition presidential candidate Kemal Kilicdaroglu on Wednesday, potentially boosting the challenger as he aims to make up ground and defeat President Recep Tayyip Erdogan in Sunday’s runoff election.
Umit Ozdag, head of the nationalist Victory Party that received 2.2 percent support in the May 14 parliamentary vote, urged supporters to back Kilicdaroglu in the May 28 runoff in which Erdogan seeks to extend his two-decade rule.
“We have decided to support Mr. Kilicdaroglu in the second round of the presidential elections,” Ozdag said at a news conference in Ankara alongside Kilicdaroglu.
The endorsement could counter-balance one that Erdogan received on Monday from Sinan Ogan, the presidential candidate of the far-right alliance led by the Victory Party.
Ogan came in third with 5.2 percent of the presidential vote, behind Erdogan with 49.5 percent and Kilicdaroglu with 44.9 percent.
The race for endorsements from the right reflects the larger-than-expected support for nationalists on May 14. Analysts say many remain undecided, holding a possible key to victory in the runoff.
Ozdag said that his party and Kilicdaroglu agreed on a plan to send back migrants within a year “in line with international law and human rights.”
Ozdag said he held similar talks with Erdogan’s AK Party (AKP) but decided not to endorse him because their plans did not involve repatriating migrants.
Erdogan’s strong showing in the initial vote confounded pollsters who had said Kilicdaroglu led opinion polls.
His ruling AKP’s coalition won a majority in parliament, giving Erdogan another edge in one of Turkiye’s most consequential elections ever. Erdogan has said a vote for him in the runoff is a vote for stability.
Last week, Kilicdaroglu, head of the Republican People’s Party (CHP) and candidate of a six-party alliance, sharpened his tone and vowed to repatriate all migrants once elected.
Turkiye is the world’s largest host of refugees.
Kilicdaroglu has also pledged to roll back much of Erdogan’s sweeping changes to Turkish domestic, foreign and economic policies, including reversing an unorthodox economic program to address a cost-of-living crisis.
Ozdag is a former deputy leader of the nationalist MHP, which is in Erdogan’s alliance. He later joined the IYI Party, which is in Kilicdaroglu’s alliance, before being ousted and founding the Victory Party in 2021.
Turkiye anti-immigrant party leader backs Erdogan’s challenger in runoff
https://arab.news/vsxvk
Turkiye anti-immigrant party leader backs Erdogan’s challenger in runoff
- Umit Ozdag, head of the nationalist Victory Party, received 2.2 percent support in the May 14 parliamentary vote
- The endorsement could counter-balance one that Erdogan received on Monday from Sinan Ogan
Ceasefire with Kurdish-led force extended for another 15 days, Syrian army says
- The defense ministry said the extension was in support of an operation by US forces to transfer accused Daesh militants to Iraq
- The Kurdish-led Syrian Democratic Forces confirmed the ceasefire extension
RAQQA, Syria: Hours after the expiration of a four-day truce between the Syrian government and Kurdish-led fighters Saturday, Syria’s defense ministry announced the ceasefire had been extended by another 15 days.
The defense ministry said in a statement that the extension was in support of an operation by US forces to transfer accused Daesh militants who had been held in prisons in northeastern Syria to detention centers in Iraq.
The Kurdish-led Syrian Democratic Forces confirmed the ceasefire extension.
“Our forces affirm their commitment to the agreement and their dedication to respecting it, which contributes to de-escalation, the protection of civilians, and the creation of the necessary conditions for stability,” the group said in a statement.
Over the past three weeks, there have been intense clashes between government forces and the SDF, in which the SDF lost large parts of the area they once controlled.
Earlier in the day, the Kurdish-led force called on the international community to prevent any escalation.
The end of the truce came as government forces have been sending reinforcements to Syria’s northeast.
Syria’s interim government signed an agreement last March with the SDF for it to hand over territory and to eventually merge its fighters with government forces. In early January, a new round of talks failed to make progress over the merger, leading to renewed fighting between the two sides.
A new version of the accord was signed last weekend, and a four-day ceasefire was declared Tuesday. Part of the new deal is that SDF members will have to merge into the army and police forces as individuals.
The SDF said in a statement Saturday that military buildups and logistical movements by government forces have been observed, “clearly indicating an intent to escalate and push the region toward a new confrontation.” The SDF said it will continue to abide by the truce.
On Saturday, state TV said authorities on Saturday released 126 boys under the age of 18 who were held at the Al-Aqtan prison near the northern city of Raqqa that was taken by government forces Friday. The teenagers were taken to the city of Raqqa where they were handed over to their families, the TV station said.
The prison is also home to some of the 9,000 members of the Daesh group who are held in northeastern Syria. Most of them remain held in jails run by the SDF. Government forces have so far taken control of two prisons while the rest are still run by the SDF.
Earlier this week, the US military said that some 7,000 Daesh detainees will be transferred to detention centers in neighboring Iraq.
On Wednesday, the US military said that 150 prisoners have been taken to Iraq.
