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Recep Tayyip Erdoğan urges speedy formation of new Turkish government Recep Tayyip Erdoğan urges speedy formation of new Turkish government
(about 1 hour later)
Turkish president Recep Tayyip Erdoğan has urged the country’s political parties to work quickly to form a new government, saying egos should be left aside and that history would judge anyone who left Turkey in limbo. In his first televised speech since the parliamentary elections on Sunday, the Turkish president, Recep Tayyip Erdoğan, has urged all four parties represented in parliament not to leave the country hanging in limbo and to quickly work on forming a new government.
In his first televised appearance since Sunday’s parliamentary election, Erdoğan said no political development should be allowed to threaten Turkey’s gains. He said he would do his part in finding a solution with the powers given to him by the constitution. Speaking at a graduation ceremony for international students, Erdoğan finally broke his silence after voters snubbed his plans to change the constitution in order to extend his grip on power. For the first time since his Justice and Development, or AK, party swept to power in 2002 it failed to garner a parliamentary majority, leaving it to either form a coalition or try to go it alone in a minority government. If either option should fail, Turkey might face snap elections.
“Those who leave Turkey without a government will not be able to account for it. Everyone should leave their egos behind,” he said. Erdogan promised to do everything in his duty to find a solution to the current stalemate, adding that he would remain within the powers given to him by the constitution.
Attending a graduation ceremony for foreign students, Erdoğan also took a swipe at the west, accusing it of ignoring the plight of thousands of refugees. “Egos should be set aside and a [coalition] government should be formed as soon as possible,” Erdogan said. “Nobody will be able to shoulder the responsibility of leaving Turkey without a government.”
The ruling Justice and Development party (AKP) lost its parliamentary majority for the first time since it swept to power in 2002. Having garnered 40.9% of the vote, it faces the option of forming a coalition government with an opposition party, or trying to rule as a minority government. He also again lashed out at the western press for its “aggressive stance” and criticised western countries for ignoring the plight of Syrian refugees at Turkey’s borders.
The three opposition parties in parliament have shown little enthusiasm for joining the AKP in a coalition government. The president had stayed off air for an uncharacteristically long stretch of almost four days after clocking a record amount of hours on live TV in the runup to Sunday’s elections.
In the meantime, the prime minister, Ahmet Davutoglu ,said his party did not exclude any of the opposition parties from becoming a possible coalition partner.
“I will hold sincere talks with all opposition parties. Nobody has the right to set any red lines for the AK party,” he said in a live interview on state television on Wednesday.
He added that Erdoğan would not be meddling in negotiations. “President Erdoğan is not part of coalition negotiations but will step in to help overcome deadlocks,” he said.
Earlier this week Erdoğan held a surprise meeting with Deniz Baykal, a senior politician and former leader of the main opposition Republican People’s party (CHP). Baykal told the press the president was not opposed to a coalition government. The talks triggered speculation the CHP was to team up with the AK party in a grand coalition.
But so far none of the three opposition parties have expressed great enthusiasm about forming a coalition government with the AK party.
On Thursday, Selahattin Demirtas, co-chair of the leftist Peoples’ Democratic party (HDP), signalled that his party was open to team up with any or all opposition parties, but reiterated his stance that a coalition with the AKP was out of the question. He added that it was important to keep working on a compromise instead of immediately considering snap elections.