Trouble ahead of Turkey as debates kick off over coalition
Political party officials as well as prominent academicians and journalists already commenced discussions regarding likely coalition scenarios as election results revealed on Sunday, however, the lack of formation of a coalition risks country’s hardly established stability and economic progress.
Before departing for Ankara to hold victory speech, Turkish Prime Minister Ahmet Davutoglu had said, “Submission of the AK Party against any force is not a matter of discussion,” referring to coalition camps against the AK Party.
While the election results confirmed the pro-Kurdish Peoples' Democratic Party (HDP) passing the 10 percent election threshold and entering the parliament and making coalition governments to be possible, Parliamentary Constitution Commission chair from the Justice and Development Party (AK Party) Burhan Kuzu said an “early election is inevitable as these parties will unlikely form a government.”
AK Party has 40.8 percent of the votes, Republican People’s Party (CHP) has 25.1 percent of the votes, Nationalist Movement Party (MHP) has 16.4 percent while HDP gained 12.9 percent of the votes.
Commenting to BBC Turkish on the results, Kuzu admitted the results are unfavourable for the AK Party and said the country will be “shaken with coalition debates and dragged towards a chaos. A coalition government cannot emerge from these results. So far in Turkey, the single party government progressed while coalition governments consumed Turkey in the past.”
As of now, 99.69 percent of the ballot boxes have been accounted for and the AK Party has 40.8 percent of the votes, the Republican People’s Party (CHP) has 25.1 percent of the votes, the Nationalist Movement Party (MHP) has 16.4 percent while the HDP gained 12.9 percent of the votes.
The votes gathered granted the AK Party 258 seats while distributing remaining seats among the opposition parties as CHP has 132 seats, the MHP has 81 seats and the HDP gained access to 79 seats.
AK Party deputy from Adiyaman, Metin Metiner also reminded the current picture in Turkey’s political scene would only leave the country “without a government,” underlining it is impossible for the opposition parties to get along.
Metiner asked the situation of the Kurdish-Turkish Peace Process and that economy is left under threat with the results.
Meanwhile, CHP Istanbul provincial head Murat Karayalcin openly expressed that the possibility of CHP forming a coalition relies on the other parties and their relations with the AK Party.
CHP Spokesman Haluk Koc enthusiastic over the coalition scenarios over hopes of leaving years long idle position in the parliament said, “The AK Party government has come to an end and CHP has become the most important political actor in forming a government.”
Commenting on possible coalition scenario with the AK Party, MHP deputy Oktay Vural said, “It is better for party headquarters to comment on the issue. It would not be right for me to comment.”
The MHP remains to be most closer to formation of a coalition with the AK Party as the CHP and HDP have already confirmed that they would not form a coalition with the AK Party.
In Turkey's tense political atmosphere, however, an early election seems more probable considering that the rivalry between the opposition parties may result in deadlock in formation of government.
If the parliament fails to establish a new government within 45 days, an early election is inevitable.
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