Erdogan Rejects Anti-Western Party With Polls Showing Close Race

Leader of the minority anti-Western Patriotic Party (VP) Doğu Perinçek has stated that President Recep Tayyip Erdogan has rejected the VP joining the 'People's Alliance', led by Erdogan's conservative Justice and Development Party (AKP). The latest opinion polling from Metropoll published a short time agoshows Erdogan on 42.0% to opposition candidate Kemal Kilicdaroglu's 44.6% support with six weeks until polling day (14 May). If this result were reflected in the result it would push the contest into a run-off on 28 May.

• Perinçek stated in a press conference that following two meetings with the president, “He personally told me that he doesn’t want to run with the Vatan Party in the elections...They have chosen the path of submission to the United States over Turkey’s independence and security.”
• The rejection of the Patriotic Party's offer comes amid a close election campaign. Perinçek's party's unique brand of far-left, anti-US/Western, pro-Russia/China rhetoric is seen as a minority interest in Turkey, and having the firebrand VP leader within his People's Alliance is likely to be seen by Erdogan's camp as more likely to alienate voters than bring more to their side.