In anticipation of the upcoming local elections at the end of March, the İYİ (Good) Party has announced its candidates for the mayoral positions in Istanbul and Balıkesir.
Party leader Meral Akşener revealed that the party's organizational head and İstanbul MP Buğra Kavuncu would be the candidate for İstanbul. Meanwhile, Balıkesir deputy Turhan Çömez has been nominated as the mayoral candidate for the city.
Founded by politicians who broke away from the government-allied Nationalist Movement Party (MHP) in 2017, the İYİ Party has formed a coalition with the main opposition Republican People's Party (CHP) in two general elections and one local election since its inception. This coalition proved instrumental in ending the ruling party and its predecessors' 25-year control over İstanbul and Ankara in the 2019 local elections.
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However, following the general elections in May, where President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan secured victory once again, the İYİ Party announced the termination of its alliance with the CHP. This decision holds critical importance for the CHP's prospects of retaining control over the municipalities in İstanbul and Ankara. In the general elections, İYİ Party received over 8% of the vote in Istanbul and over 13% in Ankara. The absence of these votes for CHP candidates could pave the way for the ruling Justice and Development Party (AKP) to win these cities again.
Another crucial aspect, especially for Istanbul, is the decision of the pro-Kurdish Peoples' Equality and Democracy (DEM) Party. The predecessor of DEM, HDP, indirectly supported the opposition bloc in the 2019 local elections by not fielding candidates in major cities. CHP and DEM are currently in talks to continue their collaboration in some cities in the upcoming local elections. (VK)
