Turkey's Kurds have emerged as a key player in the country's upcoming election, potentially tipping the balance in favor of opposition candidate Kemal Kilicdaroglu and against President Recep Tayyip Erdogan. The pro-Kurdish Peoples' Democratic Party (HDP) has announced that it will not field its own presidential candidate, allowing its supporters to vote for Kilicdaroglu.
The decision is seen as a significant blow to Erdogan's hold on power, as the HDP is one of the main parties representing Turkey's Kurds, an ethnic minority with a long history of separatist militancy. The Turkish government has cracked down on the HDP in recent years, accusing it of ties to militant groups.
Despite this, analysts say that the HDP's influence may still play a decisive role in the election. "We are facing a turning point that will shape the future of Turkey and its society," said an HDP statement. "To fulfill our historical responsibility against one-man rule, we will not field a presidential candidate in the May 14 elections."
The decision not to run a candidate has been welcomed by opposition leaders, who see it as a clever move to give their supporters a chance to vote for Kilicdaroglu. "It was a carefully crafted political discourse," said Hisyar Ozsoy, deputy co-chair of the HDP and a member of parliament from the predominantly Kurdish province of Diyarbakir. "We are not going to have our own candidate, and we will leave it to the international community to interpret it the way they wish."
Experts say that the crackdown on the HDP is rooted in the threat it poses to Erdogan's hold on power, as well as its position as one of the main parties representing Turkey's Kurds. The party faces possible closure by a court for suspected collusion with militant groups.
The HDP knows that its position is key to the outcome of next month's vote, but that it's also in a delicate situation. "We want to play the game wisely, and we need to be very careful," said Ozsoy. "We are aware of our responsibility here. We are aware of our role. We know we are in a kingmaker position."
The Turkish government has been trying to link the HDP to militant groups, but so far has failed to prove a real connection. The party's former leader, Selahattin Demirtas, was arrested and imprisoned on terrorism charges last year.
As the election approaches, tensions are running high in Turkey, with protests against Erdogan's rule continuing to gain momentum. The Iranian government is also facing unrest, with protests against its mandatory hijab law growing in intensity.
In other news, China and Brazil have reached an agreement to ditch the US dollar as an intermediary in trade, citing the Chinese state news outlet, China Daily. The decision has been met with laughter and ridicule on social media, with many users pointing out that the dollar's use as a main reserve currency is unlikely to change anytime soon.
The photo of the day features Christians gathering to celebrate Palm Sunday at a church in Erbil, the capital of the autonomous Kurdish region of northern Iraq.
The decision is seen as a significant blow to Erdogan's hold on power, as the HDP is one of the main parties representing Turkey's Kurds, an ethnic minority with a long history of separatist militancy. The Turkish government has cracked down on the HDP in recent years, accusing it of ties to militant groups.
Despite this, analysts say that the HDP's influence may still play a decisive role in the election. "We are facing a turning point that will shape the future of Turkey and its society," said an HDP statement. "To fulfill our historical responsibility against one-man rule, we will not field a presidential candidate in the May 14 elections."
The decision not to run a candidate has been welcomed by opposition leaders, who see it as a clever move to give their supporters a chance to vote for Kilicdaroglu. "It was a carefully crafted political discourse," said Hisyar Ozsoy, deputy co-chair of the HDP and a member of parliament from the predominantly Kurdish province of Diyarbakir. "We are not going to have our own candidate, and we will leave it to the international community to interpret it the way they wish."
Experts say that the crackdown on the HDP is rooted in the threat it poses to Erdogan's hold on power, as well as its position as one of the main parties representing Turkey's Kurds. The party faces possible closure by a court for suspected collusion with militant groups.
The HDP knows that its position is key to the outcome of next month's vote, but that it's also in a delicate situation. "We want to play the game wisely, and we need to be very careful," said Ozsoy. "We are aware of our responsibility here. We are aware of our role. We know we are in a kingmaker position."
The Turkish government has been trying to link the HDP to militant groups, but so far has failed to prove a real connection. The party's former leader, Selahattin Demirtas, was arrested and imprisoned on terrorism charges last year.
As the election approaches, tensions are running high in Turkey, with protests against Erdogan's rule continuing to gain momentum. The Iranian government is also facing unrest, with protests against its mandatory hijab law growing in intensity.
In other news, China and Brazil have reached an agreement to ditch the US dollar as an intermediary in trade, citing the Chinese state news outlet, China Daily. The decision has been met with laughter and ridicule on social media, with many users pointing out that the dollar's use as a main reserve currency is unlikely to change anytime soon.
The photo of the day features Christians gathering to celebrate Palm Sunday at a church in Erbil, the capital of the autonomous Kurdish region of northern Iraq.
... think it could help kilicdaroglu and make erdogan's life harder 
meanwhile china & brazil ditching us dollars in trade? lol, like that's gonna happen 
the system is still pretty set in place, don't think the dollar's going away anytime soon 
. I mean, Erdogan's been trying to crack down on them for years, and now they're basically voting for him instead 
. On the other hand, this might be a sign that Erdogan's got some serious competition coming his way 
. Only time will tell if Kilicdaroglu can pull it off 
Erdogan's grip on power might be slipping 
The Kurds are making some big moves by not running their own candidate for president and it's definitely a game-changer. The opposition is feeling the love with this move too 
It's gonna be interesting to see how it all plays out in May. 
and it's interesting to see how this is going to shake things up. Erdogan's been cracking down on them for years so it's kinda sweet that they're not even bothering to field their own candidate 
- it's about time something new shook up the global economy. The reactions on social media though were priceless 
.
. It's such a beautiful symbol of unity and love, even in different parts of the world.
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. But seriously, it's almost as if they're playing a long game here, knowing that their influence will likely still be felt in the election results. The Turkish government is getting a bit too good at painting the HDP with a broad brush of separatist militancy – I hope this election sees some more nuance on display 
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what's next, switching to Bitcoin?! Social media is just loving this one 
.