Turkey's Kurdish minority has emerged as a crucial factor in the country's upcoming presidential election, potentially tipping the balance against long-serving leader Recep Tayyip Erdogan. The pro-Kurdish Peoples' Democratic Party (HDP) has announced that it will not field its own candidate, allowing supporters of opposition candidate Kemal Kilicdaroglu to vote for him.
The decision is seen as a significant blow to Erdogan's chances of re-election, given the HDP's strong support base among Kurds. The party has long been a thorn in Erdogan's side, with leaders like Selahattin Demirtas facing imprisonment and persecution.
Erdogan has cracked down on the HDP since it began gaining popularity, with many Kurdish voters switching to his AK Party in response. However, analysts say that the HDP's decision not to run its own candidate may be a calculated move to avoid alienating Kurdish voters and instead back Kilicdaroglu, who is seen as a more palatable option for some Kurds.
The HDP has been a key player in Turkish politics, advocating for Kurdish rights and a peaceful resolution to the conflict with separatist militant group PKK. The party's leaders have acknowledged that their position is precarious, facing possible closure by court and imprisonment of its members.
Experts say that Erdogan's administration has sought to discredit the HDP, using its influence in the media to portray it as pro-PKK. However, analysts believe that the HDP's decision not to field a candidate may ultimately work in Kilicdaroglu's favor, with some Kurdish voters switching to support him due to their dissatisfaction with Erdogan.
Turkey's upcoming election is expected to be highly polarized, with many Kurds facing pressure from Erdogan's AK Party to back his candidacy. However, the HDP's decision not to field its own candidate has created a power vacuum that Kilicdaroglu may be able to capitalize on.
As the stakes grow higher, analysts say that Turkey's Kurdish minority is at a crossroads, with their future hanging in the balance. Will they rally behind Kilicdaroglu or stick with Erdogan, whose administration has long sought to suppress their rights and aspirations? The outcome of this election will have far-reaching consequences for Turkey and its relationship with its Kurdish minority.
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China and Brazil have reached an agreement to ditch USD and use their own currencies, according to a report by China Daily. The move is seen as a significant shift in global trade dynamics.
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The decision is seen as a significant blow to Erdogan's chances of re-election, given the HDP's strong support base among Kurds. The party has long been a thorn in Erdogan's side, with leaders like Selahattin Demirtas facing imprisonment and persecution.
Erdogan has cracked down on the HDP since it began gaining popularity, with many Kurdish voters switching to his AK Party in response. However, analysts say that the HDP's decision not to run its own candidate may be a calculated move to avoid alienating Kurdish voters and instead back Kilicdaroglu, who is seen as a more palatable option for some Kurds.
The HDP has been a key player in Turkish politics, advocating for Kurdish rights and a peaceful resolution to the conflict with separatist militant group PKK. The party's leaders have acknowledged that their position is precarious, facing possible closure by court and imprisonment of its members.
Experts say that Erdogan's administration has sought to discredit the HDP, using its influence in the media to portray it as pro-PKK. However, analysts believe that the HDP's decision not to field a candidate may ultimately work in Kilicdaroglu's favor, with some Kurdish voters switching to support him due to their dissatisfaction with Erdogan.
Turkey's upcoming election is expected to be highly polarized, with many Kurds facing pressure from Erdogan's AK Party to back his candidacy. However, the HDP's decision not to field its own candidate has created a power vacuum that Kilicdaroglu may be able to capitalize on.
As the stakes grow higher, analysts say that Turkey's Kurdish minority is at a crossroads, with their future hanging in the balance. Will they rally behind Kilicdaroglu or stick with Erdogan, whose administration has long sought to suppress their rights and aspirations? The outcome of this election will have far-reaching consequences for Turkey and its relationship with its Kurdish minority.
Iranian-American comedian Maz Jobrani, who has been touring the Middle East, spoke to CNN's Becky Anderson about his support for the protests in his homeland. He said that he used his standup comedy platform to highlight the "brutality against the Iranian people".
China and Brazil have reached an agreement to ditch USD and use their own currencies, according to a report by China Daily. The move is seen as a significant shift in global trade dynamics.
In other news, Christians gathered to celebrate Palm Sunday at the St. Elijah church in Erbil, the capital of the autonomous Kurdish region of northern Iraq.
turkey's Kurds are finally standing up for themselves and it's giving me LIFE 
Erdogan's been playing dirty with them for years but they're not going down without a fight 
the hdp's decision not to run a candidate is like, pure genius 
they're not gonna get ahead of themselves and risk losing all their momentum by trying to compete with kilicdaroglu it's all about supporting the opposition now 
and let's be real erdogan's gonna do whatever it takes to keep his power but i'm hyped for this shift in turkish politics 
fingers crossed for a more peaceful future for the kurdish minority 
Erdogan's chances just got a whole lot slimmer! 
According to recent polls, support for Kilicdaroglu has been steadily increasing among Kurds, with some estimates suggesting he could win up to 30% of the vote in Kurdish-majority areas 
. Meanwhile, Erdogan's AK Party is expected to receive around 25-30% of the vote, a significant drop from previous elections 
.
. We'll just have to wait and see how this plays out!
According to data from the Turkish Statistical Institute, Kurds are the largest ethnic minority group in the country.
.
. But at the same time, I get why the HDP wouldn't want to field their own candidate - they're playing a strategic move here 
.
. Maybe it's just because Erdogan's been so harsh on them 
? Either way, this election is gonna be super polarized 
️, and I'm not sure what the outcome is gonna be 
.
. It's like they're trying to create their own currency empire 
. Not sure if that's a good thing or not 
. Stand up for what you believe in, right? 
this election is gonna be super interesting with the Kurds playing such a big role 
either way, the future of Turkey's Kurdish minority is looking super uncertain 
can't wait to see how this all plays out 
I'm kinda hoping for a change to happen for the Kurds, they deserve better rights and freedom