HDP (Peoples' Democratic Party) Spokesperson, Ayhan Bilgen, met journalists at the party’s headquarters on Friday.

He said that around 1500 were the candidates’ applications presented to the party, nearly half of which by women.

Bilgen confirmed that the HDP will present its manifestos on Monday and underlined that “Monday will be a turning point in terms of multiparty democracy and how institutionalized multiparty life is today. We will present to the voters a clear manifesto having been the party that clearly said NO in the 16 April 2017 referendum. We said NO to one-man power together with almost half of the people who went out to cast their vote on that referendum. Therefore on Monday we will share a map of how to get rid of the one-man power. We’ll share our plan of transition to a democratic Constitution”.

Bilgen continued by stressing that “The Assembly is our priority. If the opposition believes in the importance of parliament, it must question its own consistency to counter the ruling bloc. Turkey’s government will be decided by the parliament. If the opposition gets the majority in parliament, the second round of the Presidential election will determine its fate. We will go to 8 July with this hope”.

Bilgen added: “We believe that our Presidential candidate, Selahattin Demirtaş has a strong discourse about the process of democratic constitution”.

Drawing attention to the worsening economic situation of the country, Bilgen underlined that “putting peace at the centre of the discourse will also help improve the economic situation”.

He then called on voters to take their responsibility. “We stated clearly - he said - no vote should be wasted”.

Bilgen said the HDP will announce the list of candidates on 22 May. “First we will share the women manifesto - he said - and then the candidates will be presented. From 22 May the candidates will hit the road to participate in meetings and rallies and meet the people”.

Answering a journalist question about the “key role of the HDP in the election”, Bilgen said: “We believe that in the second round of the Presidential elections, the HDP could prevail. We have been working on alliances. We believe we are providing a real alternative, a real opposition to this regime. On the night of 24 June we will see a surprising picture, a new picture. Which will reveal a new balance, and we are already saying that we will be on the second round”.