Turkey opposition leaders signal support for pushing forward election and 'transition road map'

The leaders of six Turkish opposition parties held a meeting on Thursday where they agreed on a "road map for the transitional period" should they win the country's upcoming elections.

During the 10 hours meeting held in the capital Ankara, the party leaders agreed on a joint government programme and signaled approval for early elections, according to The New Arab's affiliate Syria TV.

Rumours abound that the elections, which are scheduled for 18 June, might be brought forward to  an earlier date by the ruling Justice and Development Party (AKP).

The meeting, which was hosted by the leader of the Future Party Ahmet Davutoglu, included heads of the Republican People's Party (CHP), Felicity Party (SP), and Democrat Party (DP), among others. Talks concluded with a statement signed by the six leaders.

The nomination of the opposition bloc's presidential candidate - who will go up against current President Recep Tayyip Erdogan - was discussed among other issues, according to Al-Araby Al-Jadeed, The New Arab’s Arabic-language sister site.

The leaders confirmed they will hold extensive talks until a candidate is agreed upon.

"The leaders of the six-party table have reached an important stage regarding concrete steps for their cooperation on two important issues, as well as the formation of a timetable for other matters," read a statement issued by the leaders.

"[They] agreed on a road map for the transitional period, as well as common policies, provided that its details will be revealed in a press conference by the end of this month, and thus it was agreed on several issues related to basic principles, common objectives, the parliamentary system, and election security."

The opposition figures further discussed election-related matters, such as security, fair vote counting, and institutional reform.

They also prepared joint lists in order to achieve "a majority vote in parliament" and a road map for "the transition period" and a "joint policies text".

The contents of the text will be disclosed to the public in a meeting at the end of January.

A new date for the election is yet to be confirmed, but the 2023 presidential elections could see Erdogan's almost 20-year dominance of Turkish politics come to an end.

Erdogan, a once popular leader, has faced mounting criticism over the state of the Turkish economy, a housing crisis, and rising inflation rates.