A lawmaker from the main opposition Republican People's Party (CHP) Bulent Tezcan announced the "nation alliance" to the press on Saturday.
According to Tezcan, four parties will join the alliance — newly-founded Good Party, the conservative Felicity Party and the center-right Democrat Party. Together these political powers will try to weaken Justice and Development Party (AKP), which won pluralities in the five most recent legislative elections since 2002.
READ MORE: Turkey's Decision to Hold Snap Elections ‘Linked to US Military Plans' — Expert
However, the alliance only applies to the parliament vote, as all parties name their own candidate for the Presidential post.
On Friday, presidential candidate from CHP, Muharrem Ince called for the release of the pro-Kurdish Peoples Democratic Party (HDP) candidate Selahattin Demirtas from jail.
"The HDP are also children of this nation, the AKP are also children of this country… Don't keep Demirtas in jail. Come, let's race like men," Ince told during the rally in his hometown of Yalova.
In April, Erdogan announced that early presidential and parliamentary elections would take place on June 24. Explaining his decision, the Turkish President claimed that it would ensure a swift transition to the presidential system of government, which had been chosen by a slight majority of Turks participating in the constitutional referendum on April 16.
READ MORE: Erdogan Becomes Presidential Candidate From Turkish People's Alliance — PM
Since the introduction of the Constitution in 1982, political parties in Turkey have to pass a high electoral threshold of 10% of the nationwide popular vote in order to obtain seats in parliament. However, the latest amendments, made in 2018, allow forming pre-election alliances, combining the votes from the different parties.
