Reuters, Istanbul :
Turkish President Tayyip Erdogan said a snap election would be “inevitable” if both the ruling AK Party and the main opposition fail in efforts to form a new government within the constitutional limit of 45 days.
In comments published on Sunday in Milliyet newspaper, Erdogan said he planned to grant a mandate to form a new government first to the AKP, which won around 41 percent of the vote in the June 7 election — short of securing the parliamentary majority required to rule alone.
“Let’s say the party who came first in the election could not achieve this (to form a government) and neither did the second one…..In such a case, going to the ballot box again as per the constitution would be inevitable,” Erdogan told reporters late on Saturday as he flew back from Azerbaijan.
“I don’t call this a snap poll but a re-run.”
After parliament is sworn in later this month, Erdogan is expected to formally empower the AKP to form a new government. If it does not succeed in doing so within 45 days, he has the power to call a new election.
“To leave the country without a government is unthinkable,” Erdogan said. “The uncertainty should not last long to make sure investments and our international relations are not disrupted. A government should be formed as soon as possible.”
The AKP Erdogan co-founded remains Turkey’s largest party but its support fell on June 7 from nearly 50 percent in the 2011 election. Votes were lost to the pro-Kurdish Peoples’ Democratic Party (HDP), which entered parliament for the first time, and to the right-wing Nationalist Movement Party (MHP).
Turkish President Tayyip Erdogan said a snap election would be “inevitable” if both the ruling AK Party and the main opposition fail in efforts to form a new government within the constitutional limit of 45 days.
In comments published on Sunday in Milliyet newspaper, Erdogan said he planned to grant a mandate to form a new government first to the AKP, which won around 41 percent of the vote in the June 7 election — short of securing the parliamentary majority required to rule alone.
“Let’s say the party who came first in the election could not achieve this (to form a government) and neither did the second one…..In such a case, going to the ballot box again as per the constitution would be inevitable,” Erdogan told reporters late on Saturday as he flew back from Azerbaijan.
“I don’t call this a snap poll but a re-run.”
After parliament is sworn in later this month, Erdogan is expected to formally empower the AKP to form a new government. If it does not succeed in doing so within 45 days, he has the power to call a new election.
“To leave the country without a government is unthinkable,” Erdogan said. “The uncertainty should not last long to make sure investments and our international relations are not disrupted. A government should be formed as soon as possible.”
The AKP Erdogan co-founded remains Turkey’s largest party but its support fell on June 7 from nearly 50 percent in the 2011 election. Votes were lost to the pro-Kurdish Peoples’ Democratic Party (HDP), which entered parliament for the first time, and to the right-wing Nationalist Movement Party (MHP).
