Turkey’s nationalist opposition made clear on Friday it would not roll over and back a minority government, making President Tayyip Erdogan’s aim of taking the country to a snap election with the ruling party in control look increasingly difficult.
Talks on forming a grand coalition between the AK Party and the main opposition CHP broke down on Thursday, making an autumn election almost inevitable and leaving the ruling party having to turn to the nationalist MHP for support.
The uncertainty comes as the NATO member faces an almost unprecedented confluence of national security threats, battling Islamic State of Iraq and Syria (ISIS) insurgents on its borders and Kurdish militants at home. The lira currency hit a record low on Friday and stocks were little recovered after sharp falls the previous session.
The AKP failed to hold its majority in a general election on June 7, leaving it unable to govern alone for the first time since it came to power in 2002 and plunging Turkey into uncertainty not seen since the fragile coalitions of the 1990s.
Prime Minister Ahmet Davutoglu on Thursday urged parliament to call for a new vote as soon as possible, apparently hoping for an agreement with the MHP that would allow his government to stay in power until the new election takes place.
But the MHP said it had no interest in propping up an AKP minority administration.

Turkey nationalists reject minority government in blow to Erdogan

Prime Minister Ahmet Davutoglu on Thursday urged parliament to call for a new vote as soon as possible, apparently hoping for an agreement with the MHP that would allow his government to stay in power until the new election takes place (Photo: AP)
Ankara, Reuters
Friday 14 August 2015
Last Update: Wednesday, 20 May 2020 KSA 09:46 - GMT 06:46
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