Less people apply to run for AKP, more for opposition

The number of applications for parliamentary nomination to the ruling Justice and Development Party (AKP) in Turkey fell compared to the figure before the 2018 elections, while significantly more people applied to be candidates for the opposition parties, +Gercek reported on Monday.

A total of 6,025 people, 1,176 women among them, recently applied to be candidates for AKP, compared to over 7,300 who had applied before the elections in 2018. This marks a decrease of nearly 18%.

In contrast, the applications to the main opposition Republican People's Party (CHP) rose from 1,592 in 2018 to 3,478, marking a whopping increase of 118%.

Similarly, the applications to the pro-Kurdish Peoples' Democratic Party (HDP) rose from 1,500 to 2,783, marking an increase of nearly 86%. 1,147 of the new applicants, or 41%, are women.

The applications to nationalist opposition Good Party rose from 2,800 to 3,379, with an increase of nearly 21%.

The number of people who applied to be candidates for the far right Nationalist Movement Party (MHP) also increased, from 1,592 in 2018 to 1,890, with a moderate rise of 19%.