Davutoglu Says, Early Election Only Option for Turkey

Turkey’s interim prime minister, Ahmet Davutoglu (right) with CHP leader Kemal Kilicdaroglu before the talks failed Thursday

Pro-Kurdish DHP Vows to Not let Erdogan Become President

ANKARA (Combined Sources)””Turkey seems headed to early elections after coalition talks failed. The country’s interim prime minister, Ahmet Davutoglu, who is also the head of the ruling Justice and Development Party (AKP) said on Thursday during a press conference.

The pro-Kurdish Democratic People’s Party (HDP), which has been under a government crackdown since Turkish forces began bombing Kurdish targets late last month under the guise of fighting the Islamic State following an agreement with the United States, which allows the latter the use of military bases inside Turkey to continue its fight against the terror group, also known as ISIS or ISIL.

The AKP was engaged in coalition talks with the Republican People’s Party (CHP), but according to Davutoglu the talks failed since there were deep divisions on issues of foreign policy and education.

For the first time in a decade, the AKP lost its parliamentary majority in the June elections, which were viewed by the international community as an opportunity for Turkey to be governed more democratically. The AKP fell short of the majority it needed to form its own government. The June 7 vote also saw major inroads by the DHP, the pro-Kurdish party. Three Armenians were elected to parliament on June 7. One of them, Garo Paylan, was elected on the HDP slate and has been actively pursuing Armenian rights, namely at the forefront of the Save Kamp Armenian movement headed by the Nor Zartonk organization. The movement entered its 100th day on Thursday.

Coalition talks with the Nationalist Movement Party (MHP) failed with the latter questioning the role that AKP founder President Recep Tayyip Erdogan would play in a future government.

DHP co-chairman Selahattin Demirtas

“We will not allow you to become president again,”