Turkey AKP loses absolute majority in parliament
In a setback for President Recep Tayyip Erdogan, Turkey's ruling Justice and Development Party (AKP) has failed to win a majority in parliamentary elections, partial results show.
The results, which were based on 93.48% of votes counted in Sunday's elections, saw 41.15% vote share in parliamentary elections for Erdogan's party, AKP.
In a further blow to AKP, the main pro-Kurdish HDP reportedly mustered 12.38% of votes, more than the 10% vote share required to enter parliament for the first time, Turkish broadcaster, CNN Turk, said.
AKP would be granted 261 seats in parliament, much less than the 330 seats required to call a referendum on changing the constitution.
The main opposition Republican Peoples Party, or CHP was at about 25.24 percent of the vote, while the nationalist MHP was just under 16.60 percent.
After casting his vote, HDP leader Selahattin Demirtas called for peace after what he saw as an "onerous and a troubled campaign," AP reported.
Supporters of HDP took to the streets to celebrate the pro-Kurdish party’s first entry into the parliament.
"I believe that today the dictatorship ends and democracy begins. Today is a hopeful day," construction worker, Ferid Kanzary, was quoted as saying.
Long fed-up with systematic discrimination, the Kurds had earlier only ran as independents and their parties had been locked out of parliament.
The peace talks between the Turkish government and the Kurdistan Workers' Party (PKK), aimed at ending decades-long conflict, have stalled in recent months.
Erdogan had been criticized for violating the law by campaigning for the AKP as constitutionally the president must be impartial.
MFB/KA/SS
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