Turkey's persecuted pro-Kurdish party, the Peoples' Democratic Party (HDP), has emerged as a kingmaker in the country's upcoming election, playing a decisive role that may just tip the balance enough to unseat two-decade ruler Recep Tayyip Erdogan.
In a key setback to the Turkish president and leader of the Justice and Development Party (AK Party), the HDP last month announced that it would not put forward its own presidential candidate, a move analysts say allows its supporters to vote for Erdogan's main rival.
The decision not to field a candidate came just three days after head of the Republican People's Party (CHP) Kemal Kilicdaroglu, Erdogan's main rival, visited the party's co-chairs. He told reporters that the solution to Turkey's problems, including the Kurdish problem, lies in parliament.
Kilicdaroglu is the strongest contender to run against Erdogan in years. The HDP has not yet announced whether it will put its weight behind him, but analysts say it is the kingmaker in the elections.
"We are facing a turning point that will shape the future of Turkey and its society," said the HDP in a statement on March 23. "To fulfill our historical responsibility against the one-man rule, we will not field a presidential candidate in the May 14 elections."
It is a twist of irony for Erdogan, who spent the better half of the past decade cracking down on the party after it began chipping away at his voter base. Its former leader Selahattin Demirtas has been in prison for nearly seven years and the party faces possible closure by a court for suspected collusion with the militant Kurdistan Workers' Party (PKK) and affiliated groups.
The HDP's influence may nonetheless determine the course of Turkey's politics, as Kurds are the biggest minority in the country, making up between 15% and 20% of the population.
The party understands what's at stake, not only for Turkey's Kurds but for all its minorities. "We are aware of our responsibility here. We are aware of our role. We know we are in a kingmaker position," said HDP lawmaker Ozsoy.
A post-Erdogan Turkey may give some breathing space to the Kurds and Kurdish-dominated parties in Turkey, according to Asli Aydintasbas, a visiting fellow at the Brookings Institution in Washington, DC. "For HDP, this is more than just an ideological choice," she said. "It's a matter of survival."
The Turkish government has been trying to link the HDP to terrorism, but its influence may nonetheless determine the course of Turkey's politics.
In related news, Iran blamed Israel for the killing of two Iranian Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) officers, vows to respond to the alleged attack.
In a key setback to the Turkish president and leader of the Justice and Development Party (AK Party), the HDP last month announced that it would not put forward its own presidential candidate, a move analysts say allows its supporters to vote for Erdogan's main rival.
The decision not to field a candidate came just three days after head of the Republican People's Party (CHP) Kemal Kilicdaroglu, Erdogan's main rival, visited the party's co-chairs. He told reporters that the solution to Turkey's problems, including the Kurdish problem, lies in parliament.
Kilicdaroglu is the strongest contender to run against Erdogan in years. The HDP has not yet announced whether it will put its weight behind him, but analysts say it is the kingmaker in the elections.
"We are facing a turning point that will shape the future of Turkey and its society," said the HDP in a statement on March 23. "To fulfill our historical responsibility against the one-man rule, we will not field a presidential candidate in the May 14 elections."
It is a twist of irony for Erdogan, who spent the better half of the past decade cracking down on the party after it began chipping away at his voter base. Its former leader Selahattin Demirtas has been in prison for nearly seven years and the party faces possible closure by a court for suspected collusion with the militant Kurdistan Workers' Party (PKK) and affiliated groups.
The HDP's influence may nonetheless determine the course of Turkey's politics, as Kurds are the biggest minority in the country, making up between 15% and 20% of the population.
The party understands what's at stake, not only for Turkey's Kurds but for all its minorities. "We are aware of our responsibility here. We are aware of our role. We know we are in a kingmaker position," said HDP lawmaker Ozsoy.
A post-Erdogan Turkey may give some breathing space to the Kurds and Kurdish-dominated parties in Turkey, according to Asli Aydintasbas, a visiting fellow at the Brookings Institution in Washington, DC. "For HDP, this is more than just an ideological choice," she said. "It's a matter of survival."
The Turkish government has been trying to link the HDP to terrorism, but its influence may nonetheless determine the course of Turkey's politics.
In related news, Iran blamed Israel for the killing of two Iranian Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) officers, vows to respond to the alleged attack.
this is actually a major wake up call for him and his gov. if the hdp's not running anyone they're essentially giving ergodan the green light to win by default. its kinda ironic that he spent so much time trying to take down the hdp only for them to become the key to his own downfall 
just what we needed, a major shakeup in Turkey 
Erdogan is on the verge of losing his grip on power 
and the Peoples' Democratic Party is playing a huge role 
in this drama 
The HDP's decision not to field its own candidate is a bold move 
and will definitely influence the outcome of the elections 
it's like they're giving their supporters a chance to vote for someone else 
Kilicdaroglu seems like a strong contender 
but we'll have to wait and see what happens next 
but at the same time its kinda interesting to see how much power they have behind the scenes, like they can just decide whether or not to support someone and it makes a big difference in who becomes president 
. The HDP being a kingmaker is like a breath of fresh air, you know? All that drama and tension with Erdogan finally giving way to the party's strength. It's amazing how much of a difference it can make when people are willing to put aside their differences and work towards a common goal 
. The HDP's decision not to field a candidate shows that they're committed to creating change from within the system, rather than just trying to create chaos 
.
. Fingers crossed that it works out! 
. It's interesting to see Kilicdaroglu as the strongest contender against Erdogan - I guess you could say he's the people's choice 
.
. On one hand, it's good that the HDP is standing up for what they believe in and refusing to field a candidate just to get votes 
. But on the other hand, if they don't back Kilicdaroglu, might he not have a shot at winning? It's like they're playing both sides, you know? 
. We need to think about the bigger picture here and not let emotions get the best of us 
.
. It's like, Erdogan's whole thing was about controlling the narrative and silencing opposition, but now he's got this party breathing down his neck 
. The fact that they're not putting up their own candidate is actually super strategic - it means their supporters can still vote for Kilicdaroglu if they want to 
.
.
and change the course of Turkish politics. I'm intrigued by Kemal Kilicdaroglu - he's got a strong chance to take down Erdogan, but what about the HDP's future plans? Will they support him or keep their distance? 
. On one hand, they're trying to protect their base and not get labeled as pro-terrorist (again). But on the other hand, by not putting up their own candidate, they're basically giving Erdogan a free pass to win.
. So now they're playing right into those hands? It just seems like a recipe for disaster. I hope someone wakes them up before it's too late 
. If the party decides to support Kemal Kilicdaroglu, that would give him a serious shot at taking down the president 
.