ANKARA, Turkey
Despite days passing by since the June 7 historic elections, a clear picture of what the ruling set up would look like in Turkey remains unclear as political parties continue to carefully analyze their coalition options.
AK Party Deputy Chairman Mustafa Sentop said Friday that a new Turkish government without the Justice and Development (AK) Party did not seem possible. Addressing the media at the Turkish Grand National Assembly in Ankara, Sentop said: "I believe that a government will be founded for Turkey".
Meanwhile, Republican People's Party (CHP) Vice Chairman Veli Agbaba spoke about the possibility of a coalition without the AK Party.
In a written statement, Agbaba said: "A coalition with AK Party is not on our agenda," adding: "We want a coalition under the presidency of our Chairman Kemal Kilicdaroglu".
Pro-Kurdish Peoples' Democratic Party (HDP) co-leader Figen Yuksekdag highlighted the importance of finalizing the “solution process”, especially if the CHP formed a coalition with the Nationalist Movement Party (MHP).
The MHP is reportedly against the solution process, which refers to the 2013 initiative of the AK Party-led government that aims to end the decades-old conflict with the banned Kurdistan Workers’ Party (PKK), which has claimed the lives of more than 40,000 people in Turkey.
“Our priority is to be a strong main opposition, but we will sensitively consider and play our roles, when coalition options, its obligations and its needs come to the agenda,” Yuksekdag added.
About the CHP leader Kilicdaroglu’s offer of the prime minister's post to MHP leader Devlet Bahceli on the condition that both parties form a coalition government, MHP Group Deputy Chairman Yusuf Halacoglu told reporters at the Turkish parliament that both parties lacked the required number of deputies to form a government together and they would still need the support of a third party.
Kilicdaroglu in the past had indicated that the HDP could be that third party in such a set up; however CHP opposes such an idea.
Halacoglu reiterated Bahceli's remarks that the MHP would not take part in a coalition with HDP. "It is so obvious that it cannot happen," he said.
"It is impossible that Bahceli [would] let them say: 'He gave up on his principles just to be the prime minister’," he added.
According to the official results of the June 7 general election, the AK Party leads with 258 seats in the Turkish parliament. The CHP has 132 seats, followed by the MHP and the HDP each with 80 seats.
Since none of the four parties has the necessary majority to form a single-party government, a coalition is needed following the opening of parliament.
President Recep Tayyip Erdogan is expected to ask the AK Party to form a government since it is the party with the highest vote.
Turkey's constitution stipulates that a new government must be formed within 45 days following the president's demand.
If no government is formed, the country will have to hold early parliamentary elections.
