With a month passing since the June 7 general elections, Turkey's political agenda continues to be occupied with discussions of possible coalition governments. Though the current atmosphere in Parliament seems to be pessimistic, in an interview with a local newspaper on Wednesday, Republican People's Party (CHP) Chairman Kemal Kılıçdaroğlu said that he is not pessimistic about a Justice and Development Party (AK Party) and CHP coalition, describing politics as the art of reconciliation and accord. As official negotiations are yet to commence with President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan still yet to assign Prime Minister Ahmet Davutoğlu with the task, Deputy Prime Minister Numan Kurtulmuş on Tuesday said Erdoğan will to do so this week.
The CHP, which has been favoring a coalition bloc government that consists of itself, the Nationalist Movement Party (MHP) and Peoples' Democratic Party (HDP) since the elections, has given a green light for forming a coalition with the AK Party to form a government after MHP Chairman Devlet Bahçeli dashed his hopes of a coalition bloc excluding the AK Party. Kılıçdaroğlu reiterated that his party is open to forming a coalition with the AK Party on condition that its 14 stipulations are met. He further added: "Though an AK Party-MHP coalition still seems more likely, I am not pessimistic about an AK Party-CHP coalition." Underlining that sincerity is a must, Kılıçdaroğlu said that he is willing to take the hit in the national interest.
"We are no longer the party of objection, we want to be the solution. I do not think that there will be a negative picture following the first round of official negotiations," Kılıçdaroğlu said in the interview.
Although a partnership between the two political parties has so far seemed unlikely due to deep contrasts in both ideology and principles, some analysts have voiced positive views about the partnership, claiming that such a coalition would bridge divided segments of society. However, if neither the AK Party nor the CHP can form a government within 45 days, the president must call for early elections and appoint a prime minister within five days to form an interim government consisting of representatives from all four parties according to their number of deputies in Parliament.
