TURKEY-POLITICS/COALITION-HDP Turkey's pro-Kurdish party rules out any coalition involving AKP

Record ID: 150740

  • Title: TURKEY-POLITICS/COALITION-HDP Turkey's pro-Kurdish party rules out any coalition involving AKP
  • Date: 9th June 2015
  • Summary: ANKARA, TURKEY (JUNE 9, 2015) (REUTERS) PRO-KURDISH PEOPLES' DEMOCRATIC PARTY (HDP) CO-LEADER SELAHATTIN DEMIRTAS ARRIVING AT PARTY HEADQUARTERS HDP CO-LEADER FIGEN YUKSEKDAG BEING GREETED BY PARTY OFFICIALS UPON HER ARRIVAL AT PARTY HEADQUARTERS (SOUNDBITE) (Turkish) HDP CO-LEADER, SELAHATTIN DEMIRTAS, SAYING: "HDP will weigh the latest developments, the election results
  • Embargoed: 24th June 2015 13:00
  • Keywords:
  • Location: Turkey
  • Country: Turkey
  • Topics: General
  • Reuters ID: LVACYYXEBFRQUPN88DY146ILOJ1O
  • Aspect Ratio: 16:9
  • Story Text: Turkey's pro-Kurdish Peoples' Democratic Party (HDP) on Tuesday (June 9) ruled out taking part in any coalition involving the ruling AK Party, which lost its parliamentary majority in weekend polls.
    "We said before that we will not be participating in any coalition that involves the AKP, and we are still at that point," HDP co-leader Selahattin Demirtas told reporters in Ankara.
    Demirtas and co-leader Figen Yuksekdag were greeted enthusiastically by party officials upon their arrival at the party's Ankara headquarters after a remarkable election result for the HDP.
    Unofficial election results showed the HDP would take 80 of 550 seats, a stunning result for a party that pollsters had said would struggle to cross the required 10 percent threshold.
    The HDP's success also marked a major setback for President Tayyip Erdogan, who had hoped for a crushing victory for the AK Party he founded, allowing it to change the constitution and give him broad executive powers.
    "There is no point in panicking, getting angry or cooping yourself up in the palace when you lose the seat. We already said that rulership and power are temporary. Now the people have asked us to form a coalition. Other parties will also evaluate that. We will manage to do whatever is the best for the Turkish public. There is no need for panic or fear," Demirtas told reporters.
    Erdogan has not appeared in public after his ruling AK Party lost its parliamentary majority two days ago. He had repeatedly lashed out at the HDP and its leaders before the elections.
    The result indicated that the HDP had succeeded in widening its appeal beyond its Kurdish core vote to centre-left and secularist elements disillusioned with Erdogan.
    The HDP is now likely to play a significant role, particularly after a bombing on Friday (June 5) killed three people and wounded at least 200 at a party rally in Diyarbakir, in the mainly Kurdish southeast of the country.
  • Copyright Holder: REUTERS
  • Copyright Notice: (c) Copyright Thomson Reuters 2015. Open For Restrictions - http://about.reuters.com/fulllegal.asp
  • Usage Terms/Restrictions: None
Register