Erdogan: Turkey swiftly moving toward snap elections
Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan foresees snap elections breaking the political deadlock in the country after efforts to form a coalition government failed.
"Because of the failure to form a government, we have to seek a solution with the will of the people," Erdogan said in a speech in Ankara to local officials, broadcast live on television on Wednesday.
President Erdogan's comments follow Prime Minister Ahmet Davutoglu's Tuesday announcement that efforts had failed to end a political impasse to form a coalition between the ruling Justice and Development Party (AKP) and its political rivals.
The AKP, which lost its overall decade-long majority in the June elections, is forced to seek a coalition partner to form a new government. Otherwise, according to the Turkish Constitution, the president must give a chance to the opposition Republican People's Party (CHP), which came in second, to form such a government.
However, President Erdogan said Wednesday that he would not give the CHP the mandate to form a new government, claiming he had "no time to lose” for the resolution of the standstill.
According to the Turkish Constitution, the AKP will be able to continue as a minority government until elections if the parliament votes in favor of holding the early polls.
Erdogan could also use his presidential privilege to call the elections himself. Then, a so-called election government will be formed, consisting of members from all four parties represented in the parliament.
The four parties in parliament include the Justice and Development Party (AKP), the Republican People's Party (CHP), the Nationalist Movement Party (MHP) and the Peoples' Democratic Party (HDP).
In the latest elections of June 7, the AKP won 258 seats, the CHP took 132, the right-wing MHP earned 80 seats and the left-wing HDP secured 80 seats.
The snap elections should be held 90 days after being called, meaning that November 22 is a possibility as President Erdogan has until August 23 to call elections.
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