Turkey opposition names party leader to face Erdogan for June election

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Ankara, May 4 (TNS): Turkey’s main opposition party, the Republican People’s Party (CHP), has announced its candidate to challenge President Recep Tayyip Erdogan in next month’s snap presidential election.

Muharrem Ince is staunchly secular and a fiery critic of Erdogan. He has been an MP since 2002.

The CHP plans to ally for the first time with right-wing parties, in the hope of beating Mr Erdogan.

Mr Erdogan’s conservative AK Party has a majority in parliament.

He called the snap election to cement his position with enhanced powers. Parliamentary elections will be held on the same day, 24 June.

Secularists are fundamentally opposed to the AK Party’s agenda, seeing it as creeping Islamisation of the state.

Courtesy: BBC