Speaking at a news conference in Ankara, Haluk Koç said the party was still waiting for the mandate from President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan to try to form a government after Prime Minister Ahmet Davutoğlu failed to broker a coalition following weeks of talks.
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Prime Minister Ahmet Davutoglu said snap elections seem to be “the only option” left.
Ahead of the June election, Erdogan defied rules that require the president to be neutral, and openly campaigned on behalf of the AKP, unleashing fierce attacks on rival parties.
Under the constitution, the president should now be obliged to give a mandate to form a coalition government to the opposition Republican People’s Party (CHP), which came second in the election.
Part of the reason that Erdogan feels the AKP’s electoral fortunes will differ with new elections is tied to increased tensions with the PKK since June, analysts suggest.
A member of the pro-Kurdish Peoples’ Democratic Party (HDP) was arrested on Tuesday for “spreading terrorism propaganda” after he tweeted that a Turkish police chief killed in clashes with the Kurdistan Workers’ Party (PKK) terrorist group had been “rendered ineffective”.
The president, who dominated Turkey as premier from 2003-2014 and now as head of state, had infuriated opponents on Friday when he insinuated that the presidential system was already “de-facto” in place.
Davutoglu has until August 23 to form a working coalition after which Erdogan can call new elections.
Strengthening the authority of his office would prevent power struggles and streamline decision-making, ushering in economic growth and making Turkey a regional power, Mr. Erdogan argues.
The Turkish lira has slid to a series of record lows against the dollar in the past week after coalition talks between the country’s main parties ended without an agreement.
But nationalist leader Devlet Bahceli appears to be on a war footing, calculating that seeing Kurdish politicians in ministerial positions will so enrage those on Turkey’s political right that they will flock to his support at the next election.
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“We have not been successful in assuring a favourable base for the creation of a government”, Davutoglu said at AKP headquarters afterwards, insisting the ruling party had “done its best”.
