A last-ditch effort by Turkey’s incumbent prime minister, Ahmet Davutoglu, to form a coalition failed on August 17 as a meeting with the country’s main nationalist party ended with no agreement, paving the way for new elections, Hurriyet Daily News reported.“Mr. Bahcheli said he doesn’t consider a coalition with the AKP [Justice and Development Party] possible,” Davutoglu told reporters at a press conference following his meeting with Nationalist Movement Party (MHP) leader Devlet Bahcheli.
Bahcheli was the one who first put forth his position on the matter during their meeting, Davutoglu said, adding that the MHP leader repeated his strict conditions for the formation of a coalition.
Bahcheli not only shut down the prospects for a coalition partnership, but also refused to be part of a short-lived alliance to govern until early elections and support a minority government that would be held by the AKP, Davutoglu said.
“He said they would be present in parliament in the event of a vote on an early election but would not support such a decision,” Davutoglu said after the meeting which took place days before a 45-day deadline to establish a new government runs out on Aug. 23.
Labor and Social Security Minister Faruk Chelik accompanied the AKP leader, while MHP Deputy Chair Semih Yalchin accompanied Bahcheli during the meeting. Following their gathering at Bahcheli’s office in parliament, both leaders reviewed the meeting with the executives of their parties.