Turkey: MHP to back AK party candidates in 3 big cities

By Metin Bolat and Suleyman Elcin

ANTALYA

Turkey’s opposition Nationalist Movement Party (MHP) will “fully” support the ruling party’s mayoral candidates for three biggest cities of the country in the upcoming local elections, party head said on Saturday.

Speaking at an event in southern Antalya province, Devlet Bahceli said his party will not nominate candidates in Istanbul, Ankara and Izmir.

"Regardless of who becomes Justice and Development Party's candidates in our three largest cities, we will fully support them," Bahceli said.

Bahceli said that they will nominate candidates in other provinces, adding they did not make a secret deal before coming to this decision.

The local elections in Turkey is scheduled to be held on March 31, 2019.