Demirtas confirms HDP will nominate own candidate

Demirtas confirms HDP will nominate own candidate
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"HDP is a political party after all, not an association to support a candidate that disregards HDP," imprisoned Kurdish politician has said.

A day after the co-chair of the pro-Kurdish opposition Peoples' Democratic Party (HDP) made it clear that HDP will likely run with its own candidate in the coming presidential election, imprisoned former HDP co-chair confirmed that they will do so indeed, if the bloc of six opposition parties does not seek any dialogue with HDP for a joint candidate.

Pervin Buldan said on Saturday that HDP will soon nominate its candidate to run against President Recep Tayyip Erdogan, the candidate of the ruling bloc, adding that they are still open to talks with the rest of the opposition:

"We have an approach based on principles. When the time comes, we can sit down and talk, we can negotiate, we can have dialogue."

Conveying his message to Turkish daily Cumhuriyet via his lawyers on Sunday, Selahattin Demirtas said:

"If the opposition bloc to not take steps to reach an agreement on a joint candidate, if they are not considering having a dialogue and negotiations with HDP, it is only natural that HDP will compete in the election with its candidate."

He added:

"In case this turns out to be the situation, we will do everything in our capacity to support our candidate and to ensure that our candidate is successful. HDP is a political party after all, not an association to support a candidate that disregards HDP. HDP has done its best to hold talks for a joint candidate, and it still has not closed the doors to possible talks, as Ms. Buldan recently stated. The responsibility henceforth lies with the other bloc of opposition parties."