Former presidential candidate will run for the MHP

Ekmeleddin ?hsano?lu, a former presidential candidate and the former head of the Organization of Islamic Conference (OIC), will run for parliament from the ranks of the Nationalist Movement Party (MHP), in a surprising move.

Hoping to increase its votes in the June polls through a strong nationalist rhetoric in the course of the ongoing Kurdish peace process, the MHP has partly renewed its team, as Chairman Devlet Bahçeli kept his closest aides on the list.

?hsano?lu appeared as the most surprising name, as the veteran diplomat was defeated in last year's presidential bid against President Recep Tayyip Erdo?an despite being the common nominee of both the MHP and the Republican People's Party (CHP). ?hsano?lu will run for parliament in Istanbul.

Another prominent figure that has recently joined the MHP is Durmu? Y?lmaz, the former governor of the Central Bank and advisor to former President Abdullah Gül. Prof. Ümit Özda? and Koray Ayd?n, two MHP members who had challenged Bahçeli for the leadership of the party in the past, will run for parliament in Gaziantep and Trabzon, respectively. Former minister Ahad Andican, the MHP's mayoral candidate for Ankara, Mevlüt Karakaya, and former football player Saffet Sancakl? will also run for parliament.

Deputy leaders Oktay Vural and Celal Adan and 13 other member of the MHP's executive board have secured another term in parliament.