Mardin, Turkey - The result is, admits Peoples' Democratic Party (HDP) leader Selahattin Demirtas, balanced on a "knife-edge". But the rise of his pro-Kurdish party means it could play the decisive role in determining the outcome of Turkey's legislative elections.
All predictions forecast that the HDP will come forth in the elections Sunday with just below or above 10 percent of the vote.
But the 10 percent figure is the dividing line between triumph and wipe-out. Only if a party polls above this figure can it send MPs to the Turkish parliament, in a notoriously strict threshold rule.
Should the HDP win more than 10 percent, it could stymie the ruling Justice and Development Party's (AKP) dream of changing the constitution to give President Recep Tayyip Erdogan more power, and may even force it to form a coalition.
The HDP's trump card is Demirtas, 42, nicknamed the "Kurdish Obama". He is the only Turkish politician to rival Erdogan's rhetorical skills, and also boasts a fine singing voice and talents on the baglama (Turkish lute).
"We will clear the threshold and achieve strong presence in the parliament... There's no option for us to remain outside," Demirtas told AFP after a rally in the southeastern province of Mardin near the Syrian border.
While the party's stronghold is still in the Kurdish-majority southeast, Demirtas said the key was to win extra votes in the Aegean Sea region dominated by secular Turks who despise the Islamic-rooted rule of the AKP.
"I am sure we'll pass the threshold with the votes we will receive from the west," he said.
AFP
