AK Party and CHP to resume coalition talks on Saturday

As the third round of coalition talks draw to a close, the Justice and Development Party (AK Party) and Republican People's Party (CHP) and AK Party who reached an agreement on financial issues in Thursday's talks and decided to hold another meeting in the Turkish Grand National Assembly at 14:00 p.m. on Saturday.

The meeting in Ankara Palas State Guest House lasted 7 hours and 40 minutes making it the longest of coalition meetings so far. CHP's Deputy Chairman and delegation head Haluk Koç made a statement to the press following the meeting, stating that CHP and AK party have the same understanding on the necessary structural reforms. Talking after Koç, the Culture and Tourism Minister Ömer Çelik of AK Party also said that among all the discussed topics they were especially meticulous about fiscal discipline.

Representing the AK Party, the Deputy Prime Minister Numan Kurtulmuş, Culture and Tourism Minister Ömer Çelik, Minister of Development Cevdet Yılmaz and deputies Osman Can, Taha Özhan, Mücahit Arslan and the former Transport, Maritime Affairs and Communications Minister and AK Party Antalya deputy Lütfi Elvan; and on behalf of CHP, the Deputy Chairman Haluk Koç, Selin Sayek Böke, Faik Öztrak, Bülent Tezcan, Istanbul Deputy Akif Hamzaçebi and the adviser of the Chairman Rasim Bölücek attended the meeting.

Both parties' committees had previously held talks on July 24 and 28 coordinated by Çelik and Koç.