Turkey fails to form coalition

YEREVAN, AUGUST 18, ARMENPRESS. Turkish Prime Minister Ahmet Davutoğluhas announced that his Justice and Development (AK) Party's negotiations with the Nationalist Movement Party (MHP) have ended without an agreement to form a coalition government.

Armenpress reports, citing “Anadolu” news agency that Davutoğluaddressed reporters at a press conference at the AK Party headquarters in Ankara on Monday following negotiations with MHP leader Devlet Bahceli.

The meeting comes after talks between Davutoğlu'sAK Party and the second-placed Republican People’s Party (CHP) ended without an agreement last week.

It took place at Bahceli's office at the Turkish parliament and lasted for nearly two-and-a-half hours.

Davutoğlusaid the two leaders discussed the four main conditions of MHP, which are ending the solution process with the Kurdistan Workers' Party (PKK), further investigation in corruption allegations against former AK Party ministers, position of the Turkish presidency and the protection of the principle of separation of powers.

Davutoğlusaid the two leaders discussed the four main conditions of MHP, which are ending the solution process with the Kurdistan Workers' Party (PKK), further investigation in corruption allegations against former AK Party ministers, position of the Turkish presidency and the protection of the principle of separation of powers.

The last coalition talks in Turkey were made 16 years ago, when the Democratic Left Party (DSP) of late premier Bulent Ecevit failed to win the majority in the general election on April 18, 1999.

Since 2002, the AK Party won three general elections to continue a single-party rule for well over a decade, which ended after the June 7 elections this year produced no majority government.