Turkish PM throws in towel on forming government

The country’s Prime Minister Ahmet Davutoglu then announced that his Justice and Development (AK) Party’s negotiations with the Nationalist Movement Party (MHP) ended without an agreement to form a coalition government.

A pro-Islamic State jihadist video has urged Turks to rise up against President Recep Tayyip Erdogan, accusing him of being a traitor who has sided with the United States and Kurdish militants, AFP reports. Experts say the CHP is unlikely to secure the support it needs from both the MHP and the HDP to form a coalition of its own. “Davutoglu will therefore return the mandate to the president this evening”, the official told Reuters, asking not to be named because of the sensitivity of the situation.

The AKP prides itself on providing Turkey with nearly 13 years of stable one-party rule that have been a marked contrast to the chaotic coalitions and coups that marked political life before.

“Turkey is facing a new enemy due to the June 7 election result, which did not allow a single party majority, and as the chaos in Syria deepens”, he said in a speech on Friday.

If no new coalition partner is found by the end of next week, President Recep Tayyip Erdogan is expected to use his right to call for early elections.

After his party suffered major losses in June elections, Erdogan seems to be back in control and edging Turkey towards repeat elections, and gambling that a new ballot could revive his fortunes.

Demirtas is quoted by Hürriyet as saying that his party would be happy to meet and discuss a possible coalition with the CHP if it is given the opportunity to form a cabinet.

The missions follow Turkey’s announcement last month that it would open its bases to coalition air operations against the group in Syria and Iraq.

What this means in practice is a quick move to new elections, with many expecting a new vote to happen either in October or November.

“There is now a president in the country not with symbolic power, but with literal power”, he said recently.

Earlier Turkey’s economy minister helped fuel the lira’s drop when he said there was no need for intervention to halt the currency’s slide.

“Erdogan is likely to continue to target the HDP during the campaign period to discredit them with the hope of keeping them below the 10-per cent threshold”, she said.