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President Erdogan of Turkey to Call for New Election President Erdogan of Turkey to Call for New Election
(about 7 hours later)
ISTANBUL — President Recep Tayyip Erdogan of Turkey said on Friday that he would call a snap election for Nov. 1 to break the impasse among the country’s four main political parties, an impasse that opponents say is partly of his own making. ISTANBUL — President Recep Tayyip Erdogan of Turkey said on Friday that he would call a snap election for Nov. 1 to break the impasse among the country’s four main political parties, an impasse that opponents say is partly of his own making.
Mr. Erdogan’s Islamist party, the Justice and Development Party, or A.K.P., lost its parliamentary majority in a general election on June 7, and has been maneuvering since then to retain power. The president gave Prime Minister Ahmet Davutoglu a mandate to try to form a coalition government, but no agreement emerged from weeks of negotiations. Mr. Davutoglu abandoned the effort on Tuesday, five days before the Aug. 23 deadline set by the Constitution. Mr. Erdogan’s Islamist party, the Justice and Development Party, lost its parliamentary majority in a general election on June 7, and has been maneuvering since then to retain power. The president gave Prime Minister Ahmet Davutoglu a mandate to try to form a coalition government, but no agreement emerged from weeks of negotiations. Mr. Davutoglu abandoned the effort on Tuesday, five days before the Aug. 23 deadline set by the Constitution.
Mr. Erdogan could then have chosen to give the leader of the largest opposition bloc, the secular Republican People’s Party, a chance to try. But the president said on Friday that he had no intention of doing that. Instead, he said he would wait for the deadline to pass and then take the formal steps needed to hold a new vote — one that he hopes will restore his party’s ability to govern alone. Mr. Erdogan could then have chosen to give the leader of the largest opposition bloc, the secular Republican People’s Party, a chance to try. But the president said on Friday that he had no intention of doing that. Instead, he said he would wait for the deadline to pass and then take the formal steps needed to hold a new vote, one that he hopes will restore his party’s ability to govern alone.
“We will take our country to early elections,” Mr. Erdogan told reporters in Ankara, the capital. “God willing, on Nov. 1, Turkey will go through what I like to call repeat elections.”“We will take our country to early elections,” Mr. Erdogan told reporters in Ankara, the capital. “God willing, on Nov. 1, Turkey will go through what I like to call repeat elections.”
Mr. Erdogan went into the June 7 election hoping to expand his party’s decade-long grip on parliament enough to rewrite the Constitution and concentrate much more power in the presidency. Instead, the A.K.P. lost seats, while a Kurdish bloc gained representation in parliament for the first time. Mr. Erdogan went into the June 7 election hoping to expand his party’s decade-long grip on Parliament enough to rewrite the Constitution and concentrate much more power in the presidency. Instead, Justice and Development lost seats, while a Kurdish bloc gained representation in Parliament for the first time.
The results threw Turkey into a period of uncertainty. While the major political parties squabbled and the coalition talks dragged on, Turkey renewed military operations against Kurdish separatists and took a more active role in the American-led coalition fighting the militants of the Islamic State.The results threw Turkey into a period of uncertainty. While the major political parties squabbled and the coalition talks dragged on, Turkey renewed military operations against Kurdish separatists and took a more active role in the American-led coalition fighting the militants of the Islamic State.
Critics say that Mr. Erdogan orchestrated these moves and stalled the coalition talks on purpose, to justify holding a fresh election and to improve his party’s chances of success.Critics say that Mr. Erdogan orchestrated these moves and stalled the coalition talks on purpose, to justify holding a fresh election and to improve his party’s chances of success.
Since the June 7 vote, Mr. Davutoglu and the holdover A.K.P. government have continued to rule Turkey as caretakers. Formally scheduling the new election will change that arrangement. Mr. Davutoglu would have five days to form a temporary all-party government to manage the country until the election, with each of the four parties represented in proportion to its seats in Parliament. Since the June 7 vote, Mr. Davutoglu and the holdover Justice and Development government have continued to govern Turkey as caretakers. Formally scheduling the new election will change that arrangement. Mr. Davutoglu would have five days to form a temporary all-party government to manage the country until the election, with each of the four parties represented in proportion to their seats in Parliament.
Analysts say that the wide ideological differences among the parties would probably make major policy decisions difficult or impossible to achieve.Analysts say that the wide ideological differences among the parties would probably make major policy decisions difficult or impossible to achieve.
The failure to establish a coalition government at a time of violence and instability in the country has worried investors and driven the value of the Turkish lira to record lows against the dollar and euro.The failure to establish a coalition government at a time of violence and instability in the country has worried investors and driven the value of the Turkish lira to record lows against the dollar and euro.
The A.K.P.’s share of the vote fell to 41 percent in the June 7 election, compared with 49 percent in 2011, leaving the party 18 seats short of the 276 needed to govern on its own. Recent opinion polls suggest that the A.K.P.’s support has risen in recent weeks, after a surge in violence in the country’s predominately Kurdish southeast that has fueled nationalist sentiment. Justice and Development’s share of the vote fell to 41 percent in the June 7 election, compared with 49 percent in 2011, leaving the party 18 seats short of the 276 needed to govern on its own. Recent opinion polls suggest that the Justice and Development’s support has risen in recent weeks, after a surge in violence in the country’s predominately Kurdish southeast that has fueled nationalist sentiment.