AK Party, CHP delegations meet this week for further coalition talks

Following recent meeting by the Justice and Development Party (AK Party) and the Republican People's Party (CHP) delegations on last Friday, it has been reported by sources that the two parties' officials are to meet on Monday as CHP's chairman Kemal Kılıçdaroğluhad urged his delegation to be constructive during the meetings. Though during the meeting in which lasted for 5-hours on Friday delegations have determined the subcategories for the coalition negotiations, it has further been indicated that a ‘flexible policy' will be applied to the meetings. However, the CHP delegations will remain assertive of its 14 conditions.

As the delegations are expected to determine its roadmap towards negotiations until the next meeting, the first set of two subcategories that is expected to be discussed among the officials are democratization and the new constitution. Other topics include economy, social assistance, the European Union membership process and the Middle East policy in the framework of security. The delegations in which provide briefing to the party leaders following every meeting, are expected to spread meetings into 15-day span. Sources have indicated that the next meeting might be held on Monday prior to the possible emergency convening of the Parliament on July 29 to discuss the Suruç suicide attack, which killed 32 and injured dozens.

While CHP Deputy Chairman HalukKoç said party leaders may reach an agreement, he reiterated that Turkey's current foreign policy tops the CHP's agenda and that it is the most important item of the CHP in the negotiations. Additionally to the foreign policy, the CHP officials have been reported to urge lowering of the electoral threshold during the negotiations.

According to sources, CHP's Kılıçdaroğlu has told party's delegation to be constructive in the meetings for the sake of country. However statements made by several leading members of the opposition parties indicate that all are preparing for a possible early election as soon as this autumn, and expecting the coalition negotiations with the AK Party and CHP to fail. In addition, MHP Chairman Devlet Bahçeli also gave the signal for the start of a general election campaign and underlined that the party begun its preparations towards an early election.