Will Ankara Metropolitan Mayor Mansur Yavas run for president?

Mehmet Ali Kulat, a public opinion researcher, claimed that Ankara Metropolitan Municipality Mayor Mansur Yavas will be a candidate in the next presidential election.

Speaking on a television program on TGRT News, Kulat said, “I am saying it very clearly: Mansur Yavas is a presidential candidate. I am not saying he is a ‘potential candidate’; he is definitely a candidate.”

Kulat emphasized that even if the main opposition Republican People’s Party (CHP) does not nominate Yavas, he could still enter the presidential race as an independent candidate by gathering 100,000 signatures from voters. He noted that there is significant support for Yavas among citizens.

Kulat also stated that the opposition might be overly confident in the presidential race, but different factors could test this confidence. He suggested that potential developments, such as a possible penalty against Istanbul Mayor Ekrem Imamoglu or the release of Selahattin Demirtas, could impact the election process.