People's Alliance (Turkey)

People's Alliance
Cumhur İttifakı
Leader Recep Tayyip Erdoğan (AKP)
Devlet Bahçeli (MHP)
Mustafa Destici (BBP)
President None agreed in alliance agreement
Founded February 2018
Youth wing Each party has a separate youth wing
Ideology National conservatism
Social conservatism
Right-wing populism
Erdoganism
Authoritarianism
Political position Right-wing to far-right
Grand National Assembly
340 / 600
Metropolitan municipalities
21 / 30
District municipalities
972 / 1,351
Provincial councillors
957 / 1,251
Municipal Assemblies
14,196 / 20,498

The Cumhur İttifakı (commonly translated into English as the People's Alliance[1]) is an electoral alliance in Turkey, established in February 2018 between the ruling Justice and Development Party (AKP) and the opposition Nationalist Movement Party (MHP).[2] The alliance was formed to contest the 2018 general election, and brings together the political parties supporting the re-election of President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan.[3] Its main rival is the Nation Alliance, that was created by four opposition parties, which was established on 3 May 2018.[4]

History

Background

With the support of MHP votes in the Grand National Assembly, President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan succeeded on passing the constitutional referendum in April 2017, which turn Turkey into a presidential system and would expand the executive power of the President of Turkey. Members of the MHP dissidents formed a new party, the new formed of the moderate conservative nationalist İyi Party.

Since the new party formed, both AKP and MHP fear to lose votes to a new nationalist party formed by former MHP members, which oppose the MHP decided to vote for support President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan's constitutional amendment. As a result, the two parties agree to form a coalition.

Formation

The alliance has a joint presidential candidate, incumbent President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan. Each party is expected to nominate candidates for parliament separately.

Composition

Founding members

Name Ideology Position Leader MPs
AKP Justice and Development Party
Adalet ve Kalkınma Partisi		 Social conservatism[5] Right-wing Recep Tayyip Erdoğan
290 / 600
MHP Nationalist Movement Party
Milliyetçi Hareket Partisi		 Turkish ultranationalism[6] Far-right Devlet Bahçeli
49 / 600

Additional members

Name Ideology Position Leader MPs
BBP Great Unity Party
Büyük Birlik Partisi		 Turkish-Islamic synthesis[7] Far-right Mustafa Destici
1 / 600

After the formation of the alliance, there was speculation in the Turkish media, as well as among prominent analysts and politicians, that other minor parties could join the it before the 24 June 2018 elections. The parties most commonly mentioned as potential future members were the Great Unity Party (BBP) and the Felicity Party (SP).[8] While the SP ruled out joining the alliance, the BBP entered talks to join.[9] In early May 2018, the BBP ultimately joined the alliance on the lists of the AKP,[10] while the Felicity Party instead aligned with the opposition Nation alliance led by the Republican People' Party.

Supporting parties

Name Ideology Position Leader MPs
ANAP Motherland Party
Anavatan Partisi		 Liberal conservatism[11] Centre-right İbrahim Çelebi
0 / 600
ASP AS Party
AS Parti		 Pro-military Cavit Kayıkçı
0 / 600

On 14 May, the Motherland Party (ANAP) announced that it would support the People's Alliance, on the basis of the political ideology of their founder, Turgut Özal. ANAP had supported 'No' in the 2017 constitutional referendum, as opposed to all other parties within the Alliance that had said 'Yes'.[12]

On 18 May 2018, the AS Party (ASP) announced its support for the People's Alliance.[13]

Presidential support

Name Ideology Position Leader MPs
HÜDAPAR Free Cause Party
Hür Dava Partisi		 Pan-Islamism Far-right Mehmet Yavuz
0 / 600

The Free Cause Party (HÜDA-PAR) only supports the Alliance in the presidential election while contesting the parliamentary election as a stand-alone party,

References

  1. ↑ "AKP, MHP to press button for 'People's Alliance'". Hürriyet Daily News. Retrieved 20 February 2018.
  2. ↑ "Cumhurbaşkanı Erdoğan AKP-MHP ittifakının ismini açıkladı: Cumhur İttifakı". Sözcü. Retrieved 20 February 2018.
  3. ↑ "Turkey's nationalist opposition to back Erdogan in 2019 election". Reuters. Retrieved 20 February 2018.
  4. ↑ https://www.dailysabah.com/elections/2018/05/02/opposition-parties-agree-to-unite-against-peoples-alliance-in-upcoming-turkish-elections
  5. ↑ Göçek, Fatma Müge (2011). "The Transformation of Turkey: Redefining State and Society from the Ottoman Empire to the Modern Era". I.B. Tauris: 56.
    Tocci, Nathalie (2012). "Turkey and the European Union". The Routledge Handbook of Modern Turkey. Routledge: 241.
  6. ↑ Understanding Terrorism: Challenges, Perspectives, and Issues. p.230. Author - Gus Martin. 4th edition. Published by SAGE in Los Angeles, California, USA. Retrieved via Google Books.
  7. ↑ Cetinsaya, Gokhan (July–October 1999). "Rethinking Nationalism and Islam". The Muslim World. LXXIX (3–4): 374–375.
  8. ↑ "Selvi'den Bomba İddia: AK Parti, MHP Dışında, SP ve BBP ile de İttifak İçin Görüşüyor". Haberler. Retrieved 20 February 2018.
  9. ↑ "Felicity Party leader says joining People's Alliance not on agenda". Daily Sabah. 1 March 2018.
  10. ↑ "Son dakika: BBP, AK Parti listelerinden seçime girecek". HaberTürk. Retrieved 3 May 2018.
  11. ↑ Kockel, Ulrich (2004). Connecting Cultures. LIT Verlag Münster. p. 247.
  12. ↑ http://www.cumhuriyet.com.tr/haber/siyaset/977511/ANAP_in_ittifak_tercihi_3_gun_sonra_fark_edildi..._Takipci_sayisi_270__tercihi_Cumhur_ittifaki.html
  13. ↑ Mynet. "AS Parti'den Cumhur İttifakı'na destek! - Seçim Haberleri". Mynet.com. Retrieved 2018-05-21.
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