Kurdish problem-focused HDP announces co-chair Demirtaş as presidential candidate

The Peoples’ Democratic Party (HDP) has announced party co-chair Selahattin Demirtaş as its candidate for the upcoming presidential elections in August.

The HDP, which could become the kingmaker in a possible second round, had previously stated that it would run with its own candidate during the first round of polls on Aug. 10.

Speaking after the announcement on June 30, Demirtaş thanked his party for the nomination.

“There are thousands of people who are suitable for the post, but I have been tasked with the duty. I’m not an individual candidate for the post, the people who have gathered around our principles are all candidates. We are the only movement that has won even before the election,” he said, adding that names “will not be important” in the race.

“I don’t know how many candidates there will be in total, but two sides will be running in the elections: One of them is us who represent democracy, freedom, labor, and the others are those who represent the state,” Demirtaş said.

The HDP co-head also said the biggest problem in the presidential race was the lack of women candidates, but stressed that his campaign would “represent women’s freedom, as women and the youth will be running our campaign.”

“The serious state, the non-smiling state will be over,” Demirtaş added. “We want to show that the state can smile. The state is not something we should be afraid of.”

The party was founded as a sister party of the Peace and Democracy Party (BDP), also including a number of smaller left-leaning parties.

Demirtaş, who had been the BDP’s co-leader, was elected to co-chair the HDP earlier this month.