Erdogan's AKP says to ally with nationalists for 2019 elections

FILE PHOTO: Turkish President Tayyip Erdogan addresses members of parliament in Ankara, Turkey, January 9, 2018. REUTERS/Umit Bektas/File Photo

ISTANBUL (Reuters) - Turkey's ruling AK Party and the nationalist opposition on Wednesday said they formally agreed to an electoral alliance, a move aimed at ensuring Tayyip Erdogan will secure the required 50 percent in a 2019 presidential election.

The agreement between Erdogan's AKP and the Nationalist Movement Party (MHP) also includes measures designed to ensure electoral security, officials for both parties said, proposals likely to be seen by the main opposition as potentially opening the door to voter fraud.