ANKARA
In his bid to present a joint candidate with other opposition parties, Turkey’s Nationalist Movement Party (MHP) leader, Devlet Bahceli, met on Tuesday with the ultra-conservative Felicity Party (SP) leader Mustafa Kamalak in order to discuss Turkey's presidential election.
"We had a constructive meeting and I hope that the elections will benefit the whole nation," said Bahceli.
"We exchanged views regarding how a president should be, rather than who it should be," added Kamalak.
He had previously met with former presidents Suleyman Demirel and Ahmet Necdet Sezer to discuss the presidential election scheduled for August 10.
MHP has previously said that they wished to present a joint candidate, with other opposition parties, who can "embrace the entire nation" at the presidential election. The party is meeting with other political parties, non-governmental organizations and trade bodies to discuss who they will nominate to run for president in the elections.
Candidates for the August 10 presidential election can submit their applications to the country's elections authority from June 29 to July 3.
It will be the first time that the country’s president will be elected by direct popular vote.
A candidate needs more than 50 percent of the popular vote to be elected in the first round. If no one receives the required percentage, there will be a second round on August 24 between the two candidates who received the most votes in the first.
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