Turkey headed for snap polls

Turkish PM Ahmet Davutoglu, right, shakes hands with Turkey's Nationalist Movement Party leader Devlet Bahceli before a meeting to discuss forming a coalition government.

Turkish PM Ahmet Davutoglu, right, shakes hands with Turkey's Nationalist Movement Party leader Devlet Bahceli before a meeting to discuss forming a coalition government.

Published Aug 18, 2015

Share

Ankara - Turkey is heading to early elections as acting Turkish Prime Minister Ahmet Davutoglu is expected to return mandate to form government late on Tuesday after coalition talks with opposition parties have failed.

The prime minister will return the mandate during a meeting with President Recep Tayyip Erdogan late on Tuesday, only one week left before expiration of a deadline on August 23, local CnnTurk news broadcaster reported.

According to the practice, President Erdogan should give a new mandate for forming of government to the leader of the Republican People’s Party (CHP), which got the second highest number of votes in the June 7 parliamentary elections.

But the president, one of the founders of the ruling Justice and Development Party (AKP), is unlikely to give the mandate to main opposition party, local media reports citing to AKP officials.

An early election is the most likely scenario, with the AK Party will most probably remain in power until the election, most possibly will take in November or at the end of October.

Following a meeting with Nationalist Movement Party (MHP) leader on Monday, Davutoglu said there is no possibility for a coalition government as talks both CHP and MHP have failed.

Erdogan earlier hinted about his preference for single-party rule. The AKP also seeks early elections that would give the party an opportunity to win back its majority at the parliament.

The Turkish president may call for snap elections if no parties agree on a workable coalition deal within 45 days, ending on August 23.

No single party won the Parliamentary majority to form a single-party government in the June 7 national elections.

Xinhua

Related Topics: