Turkish PM still undecided on Ankara mayor candidate
Güncelleme Tarihi:
The Turkish prime minister announced the candidates of 18 provinces in the upcoming local elections on Sunday, excluding the highly anticipated and debated post of Ankara mayor, currently held by Melih Gokcek.
Ankara Mayor Melih Gokcek, whose candidacy is in limbo, has held the office since 1994 and has said he wants to run for a fourth term. Prime Minister Tayyip Erdogan, in discussion with the AKP, is yet to make a decision on Gokcek.
Observers say if the AKP does not nominate him, then he might prefer to run as an independent or become a candidate of another conservative party.ÂIn any case, such a development would divide the vote and render it very difficult for the AKP to win the
Gokcek has lost ground due to water cuts at the peak of summer and recent intensified corruption allegations against him. The AKP fears that nominating Gokcek for another term might harm its hopes to holding onto the post.
Another complicating factor is the character of Gokcek, who is often aggressive and is seen as a real headache for the AKP leadership, observers add.
Erdogan said they have completed the evaluation of the party candidates for mayor in 18 out of 46 provinces and will announce the outstanding nominees by Wednesday at a party meeting.