Kurds will have their candidate in presidential election: Demirtas

27-3-2014 – Kurdpress – The co-leader of Turkey pro-Kurdish Peace and Democracy Party (BDP) Selahattin Demirtas stated he would like the Kurds in the country to introduce their candidate for August presidential election in Turkey, Cumhuryiet daily said.

Demirtas told the daily that his party will decide on which candidate to back in the election but he prefers the Kurds have their candidate in the first round of the election and if their candidate fails to go to the second round then BDP decide to back one of the candidates. He further denied BDP would back current Prime Minister and possible President Candidate Recep Tayyip Erdogan since “he will polarize the society and that’s dangerous for Turkey,” adding that by introducing a candidate Kurds will show that they have their man for the post. The BDP co-chair further lashed out at the government and said Ankara is not taking expected steps in its peace talks with the Kurdistan Workers’ Party (PKK). For the first time in Turkey republic, the country’s president will be elected in polls not by the parliament.