AFP
Ankara
President Recep Tayyip Erdogan has urged Turkey to vote for “stability” in November 1 polls, as three pro-Kurdish MPs were invited into a caretaker government in an unprecedented move.
If the Peoples’ Democratic Party (HDP) MPs accept, it will be the first time in Turkish history that representatives of a pro-Kurdish party have taken seats in the government.
The repeat elections come after the ruling Justice and Development Party (AKP) co-founded by Erdogan failed to win an overall majority in a June vote and subsequent talks to form a coalition government broke down.
The hugely intricate formation of a caretaker government to take Turkey to the polls is unprecedented in the country’s political history – never before have post-poll coalition talks ended without results.
“I believe that November 1 will be an election of stability or instability,” Erdogan said in a speech in Ankara. “God willing, this country will reach stability again.”
The comments were seen a clear message to voters to vote for the AKP and return its overall majority, thus avoiding the notorious instability that had dogged Turkish politics before the party came to power in 2002.
Erdogan voiced hope that “the problems created by the June 7 election results will be solved on November 1”.
“What’s essential is the will of people. Our people will have its word once again on November 1,” said Erdogan.
Prime Minister Ahmet Davutoglu is now seeking to form a caretaker cabinet as a constitutional obligation following the failure to form a coalition.
Analysts have suggested the outcome is one he had wanted to avoid at all costs.
According to the constitution, such an interim government must be formed with ministries shared among Turkey’s parties according to their share of the seats in parliament.
The ruling AKP will have 11 ministries, the second biggest party the Republican People’s Party (CHP) five and the Nationalist Movement Party (MHP) and the HDP three apiece.
The cabinet will rule up until the polls, where the AKP hopes to regain its overall majority.
Analysts have said the invitation for the HDP is hugely awkward for Davutoglu as Turkey forces an offensive against Kurdistan Workers’ Party (PKK) rebels.
“This is a worst-case scenario for Davutoglu and the AKP,” wrote Murat Yetkin, editor-in-chief of Hurriyet Daily News.
Davutoglu and Erdogan have accused the HDP of being the political front for the PKK, which is outlawed by Turkey and its Western allies as a terror group.
HDP MPs Levent Tuzel, Muslum Dogan and Ali Haydar Konca have been invited into the cabinet, the state-run Anatolia news agency quoted a government statement as saying.
HDP co-leader Selahattin Demirtas has said his party is willing to take part in the caretaker cabinet.
The CHP and MHP however have said they will not join the government.
Unless they change their decision, their cabinet seats will be taken by apolitical experts, raising the prospect of the AKP having the HDP as its sole political cabinet partner until the November 1 polls.
Further complicating the picture, MHP MP Tugrul Turkes, son of party’s founder Alparslan Turkes, defied the party line to accept the invitation.
The party leadership ordered him to resign or face dismissal.
Erdogan blasted the CHP and the MHP yesterday for snubbing the invitation, saying: “They have other concerns. They don’t care about serving this country.”
The prospective ministers should reply to the invitation by this evening.
Reports have indicated the HDP could be offered the ministries of youth and sports, water and forests and EU affairs, but not key security portfolios.
The June elections wrecked Erdogan’s dream of changing the constitution to create an executive-style presidency, which would have required a parliamentary majority of at least three-fifths.
Critics have said Erdogan had no interest in the coalition negotiations and had sought early elections right from the start.
The election campaign will come at a time of political uncertainty and escalating violence between Turkey’s security forces and Kurdish militants which nullified a 2013 ceasefire.