Turkey's opposition bloc eyes deal to reunite, elevate popular mayors

FILE PHOTO: Istanbul Mayor Ekrem Imamoglu greets his supporters during a rally to oppose the conviction and political ban of himself, a popular rival to Turkish President Tayyip Erdogan, in Istanbul, Turkey, December 15, 2022. REUTERS/Dilara Senkaya

ANKARA (Reuters) -Turkey's opposition neared a deal on Monday in which the right-wing IYI Party could return to an alliance that it quit three days ago, opening the way to mounting a united challenge to President Tayyip Erdogan in elections set for May.

Under a new proposal following a weekend of political intrigue, two popular mayors would serve as vice presidents should the opposition win in the presidential and parliamentary elections on May 14.