PM Davutoğlu to hold two rounds of coalition talks

ANKARA

urkey's Prime Minister Ahmet Davutoglu gives a speech during the parliamentary group meeting of his Justice and Development Party (AKP) at the Grand National Assembly of Turkey (TBMM) in Ankara, Turkey on June 30, 2015. AFP Photo

Prime Minister Ahmet Davutoğlu has repeatedly acknowledged that he would conduct coalition negotiations in two rounds. 

“Nothing would be completed in one round. One who says ‘a result will be yielded in the first round,’ would take the easy way out. It means that one who says ‘This matter will be completed in the first round,’ is already ready to refuse,” Davutoğlu told reporters July 3. 

President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan is expected to invite the Justice and Development Party (AKP) leader Davutoğlu to form a government, most likely on July 7 or 8. This will launch a 45-day period to form the government.

“We are not starting over from scratch, but, in the respect of contact, we start from scratch. From June 7, it has been almost a month. Everybody observed their situation. Everybody knows what they can do, what they cannot and where they can cover a distance,” he replied when asked whether there would be a time-pressure for this case, given the 45-day deadline.

There has been speculation that the country could return to polls if Davutoğlu fails to form a government, although the prospect would be unprecedented. If an early election is called, however, it would likely be held on Nov. 22, approximately 90 days after the provision of the mandate to form a government.