Parties eyeing rival turf in election war
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by Göksel Bozkurt
Oluşturulma Tarihi: Ocak 05, 2009 00:00
ANKARA- One of the fierce battles of the March 2009 local elections will be in the capital, where the AKP and CHP will run against each other with powerful candidates. Although the CHP is powerful in Istanbul, it still does not look like it will stand much of a chance against the AKP
As local elections approach, political parties have intensified efforts to seize each other’s strongholds.
The leading rivals of the elections, the Justice and Development Party, or AKP, and the Republican People’s Party, or CHP, have already drawn their road maps. While the AKP is coveting the traditional domains of the CHP, including İzmir, the Çankaya district of Ankara, Trabzon, Mersin and Çanakkale, the CHP is looking to snatch Antalya and Adana from the AKP.
The AKP set protecting its voter rates in the 2004 elections as its main goal, while the CHP, which won just 20 percent of votes in 2004, aims to exceed 25 percent in the upcoming elections. Meanwhile, the Nationalist Movement Party, or MHP, not only wants to maintain its existing position, but also to overhaul the AKP in some regions.
AKP wants Diyarbakır
Although the ruling AKP initially set Diyarbakır as one of its main targets, Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdoğan’s nationalist stance on the Kurdish issue was interpreted as an obstacle against the party’s victory in the city. However, sources say the AKP still challenges pro-Kurdish Democratic Society Party, or DTP, in Diyarbakır, Batman and Hakkari, which are DTP strongholds. The state-owned Turkish Radio and Television Corporation, or TRT’s, first Kurdish channel will become one of Erdoğan’s greatest trumps before the elections.
The AKP also aims to maintain its victorious position in Siirt, Van, Ağrı and Bingöl that it managed to win in 2004. Meanwhile, the DTP has already started to work in the region so as not to give the AKP a free ride. Except for the AKP and DTP, other political parties do not have much chance in the region.
Karayalçın vs Gökçek in Ankara
One of the fierce battles of the March 2009 elections will be in the capital, where the AKP and CHP will run against each other with powerful candidates. The AKP has decided to nominate Melih Gökçek to run again, while the CHP will enter the elections with Murat Karayalçın.
Gökçek has served as mayor of Ankara for three terms. However, corruption allegations against him and his duel with the CHP’s Kemal Kılıçdaroğlu have harmed his reputation. Although these scandals made the AKP pause for thought before nominating Gökçek, it had to run him as candidate again in light of poll results. Karayalçın, the only candidate of the left for Ankara, is also a popular figure as Ankara’s former mayor.
Meanwhile, the MHP leader Devlety Bahçeli yesterday officially announced Mansur Yavaş, present mayor of the Beypazari district, as his party's Ankara candidate. Bahçeli said: "It is a binding duty for us to get Ankara." Yavaş, who is a well-respected figure with his reputation for changing the face of Beypazarı, is said to have the potential to steal votes from Gökçek.
The traditionally left Çankaya district of Ankara presents another battlefield for the AKP and CHP. While Erdoğan wants to get Çankaya, the CHP filed a criminal complaint against Çankaya mayor Muzaffer Eryılmaz, who was allegedly involved in corruption.
This attempt may help the CHP win back the hearts of their supporters. The AKP aims to take Istanbul again, by renominating Kadir Topbaş, present Istanbul mayor. In 2004, the AKP won with 42 percent of the vote to Topbaş, while the CHP managed only 25 percent.
Meanwhile, the CHP must decide between Kemal Kılıçdaroğlu and provincial chairman, Gürsel Tekin, to run as their Istanbul candidate. Although the CHP is powerful in Istanbul, it still does not seem to have much chance against the AKP.
The AKP’s other formidable battle will be in İzmir, where the CHP is very powerful and has been protecting its superiority for years. CHP leader, Deniz Baykal, looks set to stick with current İzmir mayor, Aziz Kocaoğlu. The AKP is still in search of a powerful candidate to run for İzmir. Meanwhile, Trabzon, Çanakkale, Sinop and Muğla are the cities the AKP wants to grab from under the CHP, which is determined not to lose those cities.
The Democratic Left Party, or DSP, seems to maintain superiority in Eskişehir with its current mayor, Yılmaz Büyükerşen. Büyükerşen rejected the CHP’s proposal to run as the CHP’s candidate. Thus, even if the CHP runs a candidate in the city, it will not have much of a chance.
The CHP also wants to win Antalya, Baykal’s hometown. However, current mayor Menderes Türel, who was the AKP candidate in 2004, is considered successful and sources say the CHP may fail to fight against Türel.
The leading rivals of the elections, the Justice and Development Party, or AKP, and the Republican People’s Party, or CHP, have already drawn their road maps. While the AKP is coveting the traditional domains of the CHP, including İzmir, the Çankaya district of Ankara, Trabzon, Mersin and Çanakkale, the CHP is looking to snatch Antalya and Adana from the AKP.
The AKP set protecting its voter rates in the 2004 elections as its main goal, while the CHP, which won just 20 percent of votes in 2004, aims to exceed 25 percent in the upcoming elections. Meanwhile, the Nationalist Movement Party, or MHP, not only wants to maintain its existing position, but also to overhaul the AKP in some regions.
AKP wants Diyarbakır
Although the ruling AKP initially set Diyarbakır as one of its main targets, Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdoğan’s nationalist stance on the Kurdish issue was interpreted as an obstacle against the party’s victory in the city. However, sources say the AKP still challenges pro-Kurdish Democratic Society Party, or DTP, in Diyarbakır, Batman and Hakkari, which are DTP strongholds. The state-owned Turkish Radio and Television Corporation, or TRT’s, first Kurdish channel will become one of Erdoğan’s greatest trumps before the elections.
The AKP also aims to maintain its victorious position in Siirt, Van, Ağrı and Bingöl that it managed to win in 2004. Meanwhile, the DTP has already started to work in the region so as not to give the AKP a free ride. Except for the AKP and DTP, other political parties do not have much chance in the region.
Karayalçın vs Gökçek in Ankara
One of the fierce battles of the March 2009 elections will be in the capital, where the AKP and CHP will run against each other with powerful candidates. The AKP has decided to nominate Melih Gökçek to run again, while the CHP will enter the elections with Murat Karayalçın.
Gökçek has served as mayor of Ankara for three terms. However, corruption allegations against him and his duel with the CHP’s Kemal Kılıçdaroğlu have harmed his reputation. Although these scandals made the AKP pause for thought before nominating Gökçek, it had to run him as candidate again in light of poll results. Karayalçın, the only candidate of the left for Ankara, is also a popular figure as Ankara’s former mayor.
Meanwhile, the MHP leader Devlety Bahçeli yesterday officially announced Mansur Yavaş, present mayor of the Beypazari district, as his party's Ankara candidate. Bahçeli said: "It is a binding duty for us to get Ankara." Yavaş, who is a well-respected figure with his reputation for changing the face of Beypazarı, is said to have the potential to steal votes from Gökçek.
The traditionally left Çankaya district of Ankara presents another battlefield for the AKP and CHP. While Erdoğan wants to get Çankaya, the CHP filed a criminal complaint against Çankaya mayor Muzaffer Eryılmaz, who was allegedly involved in corruption.
This attempt may help the CHP win back the hearts of their supporters. The AKP aims to take Istanbul again, by renominating Kadir Topbaş, present Istanbul mayor. In 2004, the AKP won with 42 percent of the vote to Topbaş, while the CHP managed only 25 percent.
Meanwhile, the CHP must decide between Kemal Kılıçdaroğlu and provincial chairman, Gürsel Tekin, to run as their Istanbul candidate. Although the CHP is powerful in Istanbul, it still does not seem to have much chance against the AKP.
The AKP’s other formidable battle will be in İzmir, where the CHP is very powerful and has been protecting its superiority for years. CHP leader, Deniz Baykal, looks set to stick with current İzmir mayor, Aziz Kocaoğlu. The AKP is still in search of a powerful candidate to run for İzmir. Meanwhile, Trabzon, Çanakkale, Sinop and Muğla are the cities the AKP wants to grab from under the CHP, which is determined not to lose those cities.
The Democratic Left Party, or DSP, seems to maintain superiority in Eskişehir with its current mayor, Yılmaz Büyükerşen. Büyükerşen rejected the CHP’s proposal to run as the CHP’s candidate. Thus, even if the CHP runs a candidate in the city, it will not have much of a chance.
The CHP also wants to win Antalya, Baykal’s hometown. However, current mayor Menderes Türel, who was the AKP candidate in 2004, is considered successful and sources say the CHP may fail to fight against Türel.