Multiple political parties in Turkey underwent candidate selection processes in the run-up to the 2018 presidential election. Parties represented in the Grand National Assembly were able to field candidates directly by collecting signatures from at least 20 of their Members of Parliament, as were parties who had no representation but won more than 5% in the previous general election. Candidates that did not meet either criterion were required to obtain over 100,000 signatures from Turkish citizens between 4 and 9 May.
The incumbent President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan was declared as the candidate for the People's Alliance, an electoral alliance between his Justice and Development Party (AKP) and the far-right Nationalist Movement Party (MHP). The main opposition Republican People's Party (CHP) nominated Yalova MP Muharrem İnce. The pro-Kurdish Peoples' Democratic Party (HDP) nominated their imprisoned former leader Selahattin Demirtaş. Three other candidates, namely İyi Party leader Meral Akşener, Felicity Party leader Temel Karamollaoğlu and Patriotic Party leader Doğu Perinçek received more than 100,000 signatures and were thus nominated to contest the election.
Official candidates
The formal list of presidential candidates will be announced on 13 May 2018 by the Supreme Electoral Council of Turkey (YSK).
Nomination process
People's Alliance (AKP and MHP)
The governing Justice and Development Party (AKP) entered the elections in an alliance with the smaller Nationalist Movement Party (MHP). Having won public support from MHP leader Devlet Bahçeli, incumbent president and AKP leader Recep Tayyip Erdoğan is widely expected to be the Alliance candidate.
In the 2014 presidential election, the Nationalist Movement Party (MHP) opted to support the candidacy of Ekmeleddin İhsanoğlu, who was also backed by main opposition Republican People's Party and 12 minor parties. İhsanoğlu ultimately lost the election to Recep Tayyip Erdoğan, the Justice and Development Party. Following the 2015 parliamentary elections and the failed 15 July 2016 military coup, the MHP moved closer to President Erdoğan and the AKP, supporting the latter's push for the ultimately successful 2017 referendum to switch Turkey from a parliamentary to a presidential system. In the aftermath of the referendum, there were speculations surrounding the MHP's choice of candidate for the next presidential election, scheduled for November 2019. While former MHP deputy Sinan Oğan declared his pre-candidacy for the presidency in 2017, party leader Devlet Bahçeli announced on 8 January 2018 that the MHP would support a potential re-election bid for Erdoğan, and that they would seek to enter formal talks with the AKP on co-operation in both presidential and parliamentary elections. On 20 February 2018, the Nationalist Movement party formally entered into the People's Alliance coalition with the AKP.
Recep Tayyip Erdoğan , incumbent President of Turkey and leader of the Justice and Development Party (AKP)
Republican People's Party (CHP)
The Republican People's Party (CHP) declared on 24 April 2018 that its parliamentary group would decide its presidential candidate. The party's leader Kemal Kılıçdaroğlu is regarded as the most likely candidate, despite ruling himself out on multiple occasions before the election was announced. Two days after the election was called, CHP Members of Parliament Öztürk Yılmaz and Didem Engin declared interest in running as their party's candidate, while Muharrem İnce and Haluk Pekşen were also rumoured to have started gathering support for a potential run. On 23 April, it was reported that the CHP had narrowed down their potential candidates to two, namely Muharrem İnce and Eskişehir Mayor Yılmaz Büyükerşen, although İstanbul MP İlhan Kesici was still mentioned as a third option.
At the same time as attempting to determine a party candidate, the CHP conducted meetings with other parties to explore the prospect of a joint nominee. On 22 April, the CHP took the decision to allow 15 CHP MPs to cross over to the İyi Party to guarantee them an election run, raising speculation over İyi leader Meral Akşener as a potential joint candidate. On 23 April, Kılıçdaroğlu met with Felicity Party (SP) leader Temel Karamollaoğlu, with Karamollaoğlu calling for a triple alliance between the CHP, İyi and his own party to nominate former President Abdullah Gül. The potential joint candidacy of Gül, a former member of the AKP, was not outrightly denied by the CHP, leading to criticism across CHP voters. With the İyi Party insisting on nominating Akşener, the probability of a triple alliance has decreased.