ANKARA
Turkish Prime Minister Ahmet Davutoglu has announced that his Justice and Development (AK) Party's negotiations with the Nationalist Movement Party (MHP) have ended without an agreement to form a coalition government.
Davutoglu addressed reporters at a press conference at the AK Party headquarters in Ankara on Monday following negotiations with MHP leader Devlet Bahceli.
"However, MHP leader Devlet Bahceli said [MHP] would not support any coalition government, short-term reform government, minority government or early election," Davutoglu said.
The meeting comes after talks between Davutoglu’s AK Party and the second-placed Republican People’s Party (CHP) ended without an agreement last week.
It took place at Bahceli's office at the Turkish parliament and lasted for nearly two-and-a-half hours.
Davutoglu said the two leaders discussed the four main conditions of MHP, which are ending the solution process with the Kurdistan Workers' Party (PKK), further investigation in corruption allegations against former AK Party ministers, position of the the Turkish presidency and the protection of the principle of separation of powers.
According to Bahceli, who spoke after the the coalition talks, the party leaders could not agree on those four conditions.
"Apparently, the possibility that a coalition government be formed has diminished. Turkey faces the repetition of the June 7 general election," Bahceli said.
However, Davutoglu said he did his best since July 9. "[...] Although I desired it a lot there are no grounds to form a government partnership with MHP or CHP," he added.
Stating that he would discuss the latest situation with President Recep Tayyip Erdogan, Davutoglu said he would "return the mandate if needed".
Speaking after the AK Party-MHP talks, Levent Gok, CHP group deputy chairman, said Davutoglu should "return the mandate as soon as possible as part of the ingrained democracy tradition".
"There is no option for Davutoglu to form a government. Every passing hour will be usurpation of authority," Gok said.
When the deadline to form a government expires on Aug. 23, either Erdogan or the parliament may decide to hold a new election. If the president issues the decision, then polling is supposed to be held in the first Sunday following a 90-day period starting from the end of the first deadline.
In the current set of circumstances, this scenario suggests renewed polling in November.
However, if the parliament makes the decision for a new election, then the Supreme Election Board can reduce this 90-day period by as much as half.
The last coalition talks in Turkey were made 16 years ago, when the Democratic Left Party (DSP) of late premier Bulent Ecevit failed to win the majority in the general election on April 18, 1999.
Since 2002, the AK Party won three general elections to continue a single-party rule for well over a decade, which ended after the June 7 elections this year produced no majority government.
