Erdoğan dismisses delay of snap polls, signals openness to idea of coalition gov’t

ANKARA

DHA Photo

Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan has strictly dismissed the possibility of postponing the early elections scheduled for Nov. 1 due to the ongoing spiral of violence in the country, while he has also indicated his openness to the idea of a coalition government if the results of the snap polls don’t offer a chance for single-party rule.

“I wish the picture which appeared after the June 7 election doesn’t appear [again] because it leads Turkey to lose blood,” Erdoğan said late on Sept. 6, when asked about his prospects for the results of the Nov. 1 election.

“Look at what they are saying: ‘Elections may not be held.’ Look at that approach. You are supposed to believe in democracy and you display such a stance as saying ‘Elections may not be held.’ Could there be such nonsense? The only way out is the ballot boxes,” Erdoğan said, in an interview with A Haber news channel, as he underlined the steadiness of Turkey’s fight against terrorist attacks would also be secured by an election.

“The election will of course be held. No matter what the conditions are, it will be held,” he said.
Last week, the Kurdish problem-focused Peoples’ Democratic Party (HDP) filed a petition to Turkey’s top election body regarding electoral security, as Republican People’s Party (CHP) leader Kemal Kılıçdaroğlu dismissed the idea of postponement. HDP co-chair Selahattin Demirtaş said conditions to hold early elections in Turkey’s eastern parts were unsuitable due to rising violence and the interim government may think of delaying the polls.

Meanwhile, Erdoğan, who has constantly argued a coalition government would lead to instability, acknowledged conditions after the Nov. 1 vote might force parties to agree on a power-sharing government.

“I wish there will be no quest for a coalition. But if such a will [for a coalition] is manifested [by the people during the Nov. 1 election], then everybody should bear the result of such manifestation,” Erdoğan told A Haber.

“Perhaps this time political parties will say, ‘Now that the nation made this decision this way again, then let’s sit and bind it.’ Perhaps, with each political party relinquishing, they will reveal a common denominator and can form a coalition by gathering at this common denominator,” he elaborated.

Erdoğan called for snap elections in Turkey after the failure of coalition talks between the country’s political parties in late August.

An interim cabinet was established and announced on Aug. 28 by Prime Minister Ahmet Davutoğlu after Erdoğan assigned him to form a caretaker government to steer Turkey to a rerun of June’s general election.