Turkey: CHP boss confirms PM offer to rival party

ANKARA

Turkey’s main opposition party leader has confirmed media reports that he offered a rival party leader the post of prime minister if they joined him in forming a coalition government.

Republican People's Party (CHP) leader Kemal Kilicdaroglu said the offer to Nationalist Movement Party (MHP) leader Devlet Bahceli was made in “Turkey’s interests”.

"Our priority is Turkey. I made this offer considering Turkey's interests," Kilicdaroglu told reporters on Friday as he left his parliamentary office in Ankara to attend a ceremony for former head-of-state Suleyman Demirel. 

Demirel, also a former prime minister, died late Tuesday night of heart failure at the age of 91.

Asked if Bahceli had given a reply, Kilicdaroglu said: "No, not yet."

The CHP leader also ruled out a minority government, saying it must be the "last option".

"It does not matter which parties form a coalition, but the underlying principles of that coalition," he said, adding that political parties with similar principles could come together and form a government.

According to the official results of the June 7 general election announced Thursday, the ruling Justice and Development (AK) Party leads with 258 MPs elected to the Turkish parliament. The CHP has 132 seats, followed by the MHP and pro-Kurdish Peoples' Democratic Party (HDP) each with 80.

As none of the four parties has the necessary majority to form a single-party government, they are forced to negotiate to form some type of coalition following the opening of parliament.

President Recep Tayyip Erdogan is expected to ask the AK Party to form a government as it is the party with the highest vote.

Turkey's constitution stipulates that a new government must be formed within 45 days following the president's demand.

If no government is formed, the country will have to hold early parliamentary elections.