Secular party leaders in Turkey form alliance ahead of general elections

The Associated Press Published: May 17, 2007

ANKARA, Turkey: Leaders of two secular parties said Thursday that they would form an alliance to challenge the Islamic-rooted ruling party in July elections.
"We have agreed to form an election alliance. We will work together hand in hand," Deniz Baykal, leader of the Republican People's Party, said at a news conference. He was accompanied by Zeki Sezer, leader of new partner the Democratic Left Party.
The Republican People's Party is the largest challenger to Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan's government, which faces a secularist backlash over suspicions that he seeks to roll back restrictions on Islamic dress and take other steps to dilute the Western lifestyle of many Turks.
Both secular parties draw support from the secular elite, including teachers, judges, doctors and military officers.
Supporters had urged them to seek a unified platform in challenging Erdogan's governing party in Turkey's general elections. Hundreds of thousands of protesters held anti-government demonstrations in recent weeks.
"The regime, secular democracy, the republic is under threat. We will form a strong unity to overcome this threat," Sezer said. "This will also give a serious alternative to Turkey to run the country."
Under the deal, candidates of the Democratic Left Party will run on the ticket of the Republican People's Party, Sezer said.
However, Sezer himself rejected Baykal's appeal that Sezer to run for the Parliament on the ticket of the Republican party.
"Even if we lead separate political identities after entering Parliament in an alliance, we will continue to work toward uniting (the parties) in a way in which both parties' separate identities are reflected," Baykal said.
Before meeting Baykal on Thursday, Sezer said: "The cooperation between party groups of the Democratic Left and the Republican People's in Parliament would be effective against those who want to steer Turkey toward darkness."
Erdogan's government had pushed for the election of a president with strong Islamic leanings, sparking tensions with the secular establishment, including the military.
Erdogan declared early general elections on July 22, several months ahead of schedule, as a way to ease a political crisis that began when the government picked Foreign Minister Abdullah Gul as its presidential candidate.
The government rejects claims by secular circles that it has an Islamic agenda. Gul was forced to drop his bid for the presidency after the opposition boycotted parliamentary votes on his candidacy, and the military threatened to intervene to safeguard secular traditions. Huge crowds staged anti-government rallies, most recently on Sunday in the port of Izmir.
Both secular leaders apologized for taking weeks to form an alliance.
"We may have been a little slow; we may have upset or angered our citizens," Baykal said.
Sezer said the parties needed to work on a detailed plan to "salvage the country" and avoid possible snags in the future.