Erdoğan’s refusal to give mandate equates to ‘putschism,’ says CHP

MANİSA/ANKARA

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Senior executives of the Republican People’s Party (CHP) have warned President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan, arguing his refusal to give the mandate to form a government to their party, which garnered the second highest vote total in the June 7 parliamentary election, would simply mean “putschism.”

“If such commissioning is not conducted today by Mr. President, then this would mean the launch of a coup by taking office through democracy and getting strengthened within democracy. We call this putschism,” said the CHP’s deputy parliamentary group chair, Özgür Özel, speaking to reporters in Manisa on Aug. 19, after news reports indicated Erdoğan signaled he had no intention of giving a mandate to form a new government to the CHP.

According to the same reports, Erdoğan indicated instead his willingness to form a short-term government which would carry the country to early elections.

Each time the assignment to form a government was not given to their party was detrimental to Turkey, Levent Gök, also a deputy parliamentary group chair for the CHP, said on Aug. 19.

“As the CHP, we are ready to take over the duty in this period, along which the environment is extremely negative, with the constitutional process still going on,” Gök said.

“We declare our determination to found a government with this mandate, to conduct important works in order to establish either a long-term coalition government based on constructive reforms or a minority government,” he said. 

“The president should give this mandate to our leader without delay.”