Pro-Kurdish party says Ocalan's call does not change strategy in Istanbul

The pro-Kurdish Peoples' Democratic Party (HDP) said on Friday its strategy of supporting the opposition in the Istanbul mayoral election has not changed despite a last-minute call from jailed militant leader Abdullah Ocalan for it to be neutral.

The HDP co-leaders said in a written statement that Ocalan's statement was in line with the HDP's strategy until now and that President Tayyip Erdogan was seeking to pit the HDP and Ocalan against each other in a "desperate" move.