The opposition coalition of Turkiye will put forward its joint policy platform today – Photo: Cagla Gurdogan/Reuters

Turkiye’s six-party opposition alliance is today expected to announce a joint policy platform.

The coalition aims to oust President Recep Tayyip Erdogan, whose Justice and Development Party (AKP) has headed the Turkish government since 2002.  Under Erdogan, the country has seen a centralization of executive power resulting in a substantial decline in political and civil liberties. Erdogan’s government has pointed to modernization and Turkiye becoming more geopolitically influential.

As the Republic of Turkiye prepares to celebrate the centennial of its founding later this year, expect the party platform to emphasize a return to a legislative, as opposed to executive-oriented, system of government. In addition to this promise of restored freedom, recent economic woes—particularly inflation and a currency collapse—may also aid the opposition effort. Erdogan, however, will remain challenging to defeat for several reasons, including the popularity of short-term AKP economic reforms—ranging from debt forgiveness to a 55% minimum wage increase—internal opposition differences, the force of his personality and the possibility that the president will use his centralized executive authority to limit the campaigning before the May 14 general election. Istanbul’s own mayor is already banned from participation following a court conviction.