Aksener's move a "boost" for Erdogan: Global media

A recent move by nationalist Good Party's leader in Turkey to reject a joint proposal for the presidential nomination of the main opposition leader, and to target the other opposition parties in the opposition bloc, signalling an apparent exit from the bloc, will obviously make life easier for President Recep Tayyip Erdogan, analysts in global media have said.

"The Table of Six has lost its ability to integrate the people's expectations into its decisions (...) We will not sit on a gambling table," Good Party leader Meral Aksener said on Friday.

Financial Times said Aksener's move is a "boost for Erdogan."

"A joint opposition bid to take on Turkey's president Recep Tayyip Erdogan descended into chaos little more than two months before the country holds crucial elections (...) Meral Akşener, leader of the nationalist Good party, the second biggest opposition force, signalled that her grouping would break with the six-party coalition and called for new candidates to take on Erdogan," it noted, adding:

"The fracturing of the common front, which had included all the leading opposition forces except the pro-Kurdish HDP, is a boost for Erdoğan."

Reuters foreign policy reporter Humeyra Pamuk cited an analysis by consultancy firm Teneo, who said:

"After the (likely) exit of the Good Party - the second largest in the opposition platform - what is left is the CHP and four tiny parties, most of which share a conservative-religious outlook. It remains to be seen whether the CHP and its four allies can now effectively court Kurdish voters. On paper, the likely departure of the nationalist Good Party should make this endeavor easier for whatever is left of the Nation Alliance."

It continued:

"Just like over the past 20 years, the opposition turned out to be President Tayyip Erdogan's greatest asset (...) With the main opposition bloc in disarray, Erdogan is now much better positioned to prevail on 14 May."

Jared Malsin and Elvan Kivilcim said in The Wall Street Journal:

"An influential Turkish political party dropped out of an alliance opposing President Recep Tayyip Erdogan, handing the leader a potential boost ahead of what could be his toughest election campaign in his 20 years in power." .

"Turkey's opposition is in crisis over a failure to agree on a joint candidate to contest President Recep Tayyip Erdogan, hampering a rare chance to unseat the country's longest-serving leader at elections in less than three months," Bloomberg said, adding:

"To defeat Erdogan in the presidential race, opposition parties must rally behind a candidate that can lure support of the pro-Kurdish HDP [Peoples' Democratic Party] which has emerged as kingmaker in past elections, though is now facing a potential ban because of alleged ties to separatist Kurdish militants."

Le Figaro said:

"The fracture in the opposition bloc risks, ironically, serving the interests of President Erdogan at a time when his popularity rating has never been so low, against a backdrop of economic crisis and anger linked to his risky management of the earthquake."

"Aksener's rejection of Kilicdaroglu marks a serious blow to the political opposition's election prospects (...) She has handed Erdogan a gift on a platter," France 24 cited political risk consultant Anthony Skinner telling AFP.

Al Monitor's Ezgi Akin said Aksener's move "will deal a blow to the opposition alliance's years-long efforts to set up a united front against Erdogan's government,"