Turkey's MHP to back AK party candidates in three big cities in local polls

Turkey's opposition Nationalist Movement Party (MHP) leader Devlet Bahçeli said on Saturday that the party will not nominate candidates in Istanbul, Izmir and Ankara in the upcoming local elections.

"Regardless of who becomes Justice and Development Party's candidates in our three largest cities, we will fully support them," Bahçeli said while speaking at an event in southern Antalya province.

Bahçeli added that MHP and AK Party did not make a secret deal before coming to this decision.

Turkish citizens will head to polls for local elections across Turkey on March 31, 2019.

The last elections in Turkey were presidential and parliamentary elections which were held on June 24 this year.

The ruling Justice and Development (AK) Party will unveil its mayor candidates for Istanbul, Ankara and Izmir, as well as for 40 other provinces, later in the day.