The leader of Turkey’s main opposition party on Sunday accused President Recep Tayyip Erdogan of seeking to stage a “civilian coup” over plans for snap elections after coalition talks failed.
“There is no law in Turkey at the moment … Democracy is currently suspended and the constitution is not working,” said Republican People’s Party leader Kemal Kilicdaroglu in Ankara, AFP reported.
“We are faced with a civilian coup,” he said, in a nod to history which has seen Turkey living through three military coups, in 1960, 1971 and 1980.
Erdogan’s ruling Justice and Development Party lost its overall majority in June 7 legislative polls but was unable to form a coalition by the deadline that ran out Sunday.
CHP, which held weeks of coalition talks with AKP, says Erdogan deliberately stymied the negotiations in the hope of triggering new polls and a better result for his party.
Kilicdaroglu said CHP, which came second in the polls, was willing to be the minority partner in a coalition led by Prime Minister Ahmet Davutoglu, that would have been “respected inside and outside” of Turkey.
But his party wanted to see change on three major issues, foreign policy, which needed a “180 degree transformation,” the “big problem” of the economy and an education system “that leaves no parent satisfied.”
CHP is incensed that Erdogan did not offer the party a chance to form a coalition government after the failure of talks with AKP, accusing him of violating the constitution.
But Erdogan snapped back, saying he could not meet Kilicdaroglu because CHP leader refused to set foot in his presidential palace. Davutoglu also insisted that AKP had acted in line with the Turkish constitution.
