He said Kilicdaroglu was a strong candidate, but other candidates should be discussed.

The CHP mayors

of Istanbul and Ankara have been mooted as candidates and polls have indicated they could perform
better than Kilicdaroglu against Erdogan.

A CHP official, who declined to be named, said there was broad agreement on selecting Kilicdaroglu.

“We don’t expect any problems anymore. This decision will be made by consensus. I don’t want to
consider any other option,” he said.

Erdogan’s government has faced criticism for its handling of the emergency response to the earthquake,
adding to what was already expected to be his biggest electoral challenge of his two decades in power
as soaring inflation hits living standards.

The opposition has cooperated more closely since its success in taking control of major municipalities,
including Istanbul and Ankara, from Erdogan’s ruling AK Party in 2019 local elections.

But reports of discord within the opposition alliance have raised doubts about its ability to capitalize on
the erosion in Erdogan’s popularity shown by the opinion polls.