Turkey's Kurds, the largest minority group in the country, are emerging as a key factor in the upcoming election that could potentially unseat two-decade ruler Recep Tayyip Erdogan. The pro-Kurdish Peoples' Democratic Party (HDP) has announced it will not field its own presidential candidate, which analysts say is a deliberate move to allow Kurdish voters to support Erdogan's main rival.
The HDP's decision comes as the Turkish government cracks down on the party, with former leader Selahattin Demirtas in prison for nearly seven years. The party faces possible closure by court for suspected ties to the militant Kurdistan Workers' Party (PKK) and affiliated groups.
Erdogan has been cracking down on the HDP since it began chipping away at his voter base. The party's influence may nonetheless determine the course of Turkey's politics, with Kurdish voters traditionally voting for Erdogan's AK Party.
The HDP's decision not to field a candidate could tip the balance in favor of Kemal Kilicdaroglu, the head of the Republican People's Party (CHP), who is Erdogan's main rival. Analysts say that if the opposition is seen as aligning with the HDP, Erdogan's AK Party may use its influence in the media to discredit it.
Turkey's Kurds are a significant minority group, making up between 15% and 20% of the population. The HDP was founded in 2012 with the aim of promoting peaceful and democratic resolution of the Kurdish conflict.
The party is aware of the risks involved and is playing a delicate game. "We want to play the game wisely, and we need to be very careful," said deputy co-chair Hisyar Ozsoy. The HDP's decision not to field a candidate has been met with laughter and ridicule on Iranian state media, which gloated at what it sees as the demise of the US dollar.
The situation is precarious for the HDP, which faces a case in Turkey's Constitutional Court over suspected ties to the PKK. If the court rules against the party, its candidates will run under the Green Left Party in parliament.
In other news, two women were arrested in Iran for failing to wear the hijab in public after a man threw a tub of yogurt at them. Iranian influence has grown in Syria since a civil war broke out in the country more than a decade ago, with the IRGC building a substantial presence as "advisers" to the Syrian armed forces.
China and Brazil have reached an agreement to ditch the US dollar and use their own currencies for trade and financial transactions. The agreement was met with laughter and ridicule on Iranian state media, which gloated at what it sees as the demise of the US dollar.
In a related story, Iran's government has vowed to respond to the alleged Israeli attack that killed two IRGC officers in Syria. The incident has raised tensions between Israel and Iran, with both sides accusing each other of aggression.
As the situation unfolds, one thing is clear: Turkey's Kurds will be playing a crucial role in the upcoming election, and their influence could potentially tip the balance in favor of Erdogan's rival.
The HDP's decision comes as the Turkish government cracks down on the party, with former leader Selahattin Demirtas in prison for nearly seven years. The party faces possible closure by court for suspected ties to the militant Kurdistan Workers' Party (PKK) and affiliated groups.
Erdogan has been cracking down on the HDP since it began chipping away at his voter base. The party's influence may nonetheless determine the course of Turkey's politics, with Kurdish voters traditionally voting for Erdogan's AK Party.
The HDP's decision not to field a candidate could tip the balance in favor of Kemal Kilicdaroglu, the head of the Republican People's Party (CHP), who is Erdogan's main rival. Analysts say that if the opposition is seen as aligning with the HDP, Erdogan's AK Party may use its influence in the media to discredit it.
Turkey's Kurds are a significant minority group, making up between 15% and 20% of the population. The HDP was founded in 2012 with the aim of promoting peaceful and democratic resolution of the Kurdish conflict.
The party is aware of the risks involved and is playing a delicate game. "We want to play the game wisely, and we need to be very careful," said deputy co-chair Hisyar Ozsoy. The HDP's decision not to field a candidate has been met with laughter and ridicule on Iranian state media, which gloated at what it sees as the demise of the US dollar.
The situation is precarious for the HDP, which faces a case in Turkey's Constitutional Court over suspected ties to the PKK. If the court rules against the party, its candidates will run under the Green Left Party in parliament.
In other news, two women were arrested in Iran for failing to wear the hijab in public after a man threw a tub of yogurt at them. Iranian influence has grown in Syria since a civil war broke out in the country more than a decade ago, with the IRGC building a substantial presence as "advisers" to the Syrian armed forces.
China and Brazil have reached an agreement to ditch the US dollar and use their own currencies for trade and financial transactions. The agreement was met with laughter and ridicule on Iranian state media, which gloated at what it sees as the demise of the US dollar.
In a related story, Iran's government has vowed to respond to the alleged Israeli attack that killed two IRGC officers in Syria. The incident has raised tensions between Israel and Iran, with both sides accusing each other of aggression.
As the situation unfolds, one thing is clear: Turkey's Kurds will be playing a crucial role in the upcoming election, and their influence could potentially tip the balance in favor of Erdogan's rival.
. They're being super targeted by the government and it's like they're walking on eggshells all the time. I mean, 7 years is a looong time to be in prison for someone who just wants to represent their community. It's crazy how the media can turn things around like that - one minute the HDP is being lauded as heroes for promoting peace, and the next they're being ridiculed on Iranian state media.
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and I think it's gonna be super interesting! The pro-Kurdish Peoples' Democratic Party not fielding a candidate might actually help Kemal Kilicdaroglu, the main rival to Recep Tayyip Erdogan, gain more traction 
. It's like they're playing a clever game of chess 
- if the opposition is seen as aligning with the HDP, it could backfire on Erdogan's party 
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laughing and ridiculing everything that doesn't agree with them. But hey, at least they're good for a laugh 
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! It's like they're taking control of their own economic destiny 
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! Standing up for what you believe in and being true to yourself takes courage 
. Let's keep spreading love and acceptance wherever we go 
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. It might put pressure on Kemal Kilicdaroglu, but also kinda makes him a proxy for the Kurds, which could work out 
. The gov't has been cracking down hard on them, so this is all about survival mode. The Kurdish community is big in Turkey and if they don't support AKP, it's like a domino effect 
i mean, on one hand, they're trying to avoid any potential backlash from the gov't 
and the media 
to win the election without them being a factor 
and meanwhile, this whole thing is just adding fuel to the fire 
regarding turkey's politics 
This whole situation is super delicate, though - Erdogan's not going down without a fight! 
The HDP's got some serious guts for playing this game, and it'll be interesting to see how it all unfolds. Maybe the opposition can use this to their advantage? 
like the Kurds are literally the ones who might decide erdogan's fate 
and did u hear about Iran making fun of us on state media AGAIN?!? 
. I think the HDP knows what they're doing, though - playing this game wisely and carefully, like Hisyar Ozsoy said 
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. Turkey's politics are always complicated, especially when it comes to the Kurdish issue 
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. One thing's for sure: Turkey's Kurds will have a significant impact on the outcome, and their influence could potentially change the course of Turkish politics 
.
. It's like, can't he just let them have a say in their own future without trying to silence them? 
... it's like, two countries that are already super unstable, and now they're just getting more aggro 
. China and Brazil ditching the US dollar is a big deal too, but I don't know if it's really about the dollars 
, and I'm just hoping that whoever wins can help bring some peace to the region 
. It's a big ask, but I guess we'll just have to wait and see what happens 
and if they're able to organize their votes, it could make a big difference in the election outcome. The HDP's decision not to field a candidate is kinda weird tho... like, why wouldn't you want to give your voters an option? 
. Anyway, I'm keeping an eye on this one and hoping it all goes down peacefully