Turkish PM to visit MHP leader for coalition talks today

ANKARA

DHA Photo

The second meeting in coalition-making process will take place July 14 between the Justice and Development Party (AKP) and the Nationalist Movement Party (MHP), whose partnership for a government is seen as very likely. 

MHP’s Devlet Bahçeli and AKP’s Ahmet Davutoğlu will meet at parliament upon the suggestion of the former. The meeting will take place at Bahçeli’s room at 2.00 p.m. Bahçeli will be accompanied by deputy parliamentary group leader Oktay Vural, Secretary-General İsmet Büyükataman and deputy leader Semih Yalçın, although other names may be added according to Davutoğlu’s number of accompanying aides. 

In earlier messages, Bahçeli has shown unwillingness to form a government with the AKP, although the two parties share a similar worldview and grassroots. Instead, Bahçeli suggested that Davutoğlu ally with the social democrats, the Republican People’s Party (CHP), in what he described as the best remedy to avoid social disintegration. 

Having already closed its doors to a government with the CHP because it would need the direct or indirect support of the People’s Democracy Party (HDP), the MHP officials have left the door halfway open to the AKP, in case all other government options are nixed. 

The three red lines imposed by Bahçeli are abandoning the Kurdish peace process, removal of President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan to his constitutional boundaries and effective investigation of massive corruption and graft claims.