page_title: 2018 Turkish presidential election
section_title: Felicity Party (SP)
hierarchical_section_title: 2018 Turkish presidential election / Candidates / Selection process / Felicity Party (SP)
caption_attribution_description: English: CHP leader Kemal Kılıçdaroğlu and SP leader Temel Karamollaoğlu meet in advance of the 24 June 2018 general elections
context_page_description: The 2018 Turkish presidential election took place on 24 June 2018 as part of the 2018 general election, alongside parliamentary elections on the same day. Following the approval of constitutional changes in a referendum held in 2017, the elected President will be both the head of state and head of government of Turkey, taking over the latter role from the to-be-abolished office of the Prime Minister.
  The election was originally scheduled for November 2019. Despite insistence from the government that they would not be brought forward, speculation over an early vote continued since the 2017 referendum. After calls from Nationalist Movement Party leader Devlet Bahçeli for a snap election, President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan announced on 18 April 2018 that it would take place on 24 June.
  Incumbent president Recep Tayyip Erdoğan declared his candidacy for the People's Alliance on 27 April 2018. Erdoğan’s main opposition, the Republican People's Party, nominated Muharrem İnce, a member of the parliament known for his combative opposition and spirited speeches against Erdoğan. The Peoples' Democratic Party nominated the imprisoned ex-chairman Selahattin Demirtaş.
context_section_description: In the run-up to the election, SP leader Temel Karamollaoğlu managed to carry his party to the mainstream media following a number of speeches where he heavily criticised the government. This led to the SP being regarded as a potential kingmaker in future alliances, causing several larger parties to approach Karamollaoğlu in a bid to field a joint candidate. Although this led to the Nation Alliance being established between the SP, CHP and the İyi Party, no consensus was reached on a joint presidential candidate and each party decided to nominate their own. The SP polled their members on four potential candidates, namely Karamollaoğlu, Abdullah Gül, Haşim Kılıç and Abdüllatif Şener. Karamollaoğlu was announced as the party's candidate on 1 May.
caption: SP leader Temel Karamollaoğlu and CHP leader Kemal Kılıçdaroğlu meet to discuss a joint candidate on 23 April 2018
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