ANKARA
The Republican People's Party (CHP) is discussing a coalition option without involving the Justice and Development (AK) Party, a senior CHP deputy head said Tuesday.
"We are thinking about an option without the AK Party. We can form a government with the other two parties [HDP and MHP] easily," Sezgin Tanrikulu told journalists before his party’s central executive committee meeting in Ankara.
Regarding the CHP's roadmap after Turkey's 25th general elections that did not produce a majority government, Tanrikulu said: "The voters have given a ‘we don't want to see the rule of AK Party’ message to the three opposition parties in the elections.
"These are my personal thoughts," he added, reassuring the Turkish people that the country would not be left without a government. "We will do what is necessary," he said.
"AK Party leader Ahmet Davutoglu might be entrusted a task to form a government, but the other alternative is looking stronger," he said.
About the possibility of a three-way CHP-MHP-HDP coalition, Tanrikulu said: "Anything can happen in politics, no door remains closed. We are not in a negative attitude, [we are] approaching everyone positively.”
The CHP central executive committee meeting was held Tuesday and CHP Vice Chairman Haluk Koc delivered a press conference afterwards.
Koc said the CHP had evaluated the election results in the meeting. "Democracy is a culture of conciliation," he said.
Koc also said that should AK Party chairman and current Prime Minister Ahmet Davutoglu seek a meeting with CHP, Kilicdaroglu would accept.
Koc said no contact had yet been made with MHP.
The AK Party came in first in the fourth consecutive general elections Sunday to secure the largest number of votes -- 41 percent -- and to claim 258 seats in the Turkish Grand National Assembly, 18 short of a simple majority.
Second place Republican People’s Party (CHP) saw 132 deputies elected while the Nationalist Movement Party (MHP) and the Peoples' Democratic Party (HDP) both won 80 seats.
Although the initial count has been completed, the figures still need to be verified by the Supreme Election Council, which could take up to 12 days.
Once the final results are announced, the deputies of the 25th Grand National Assembly must be sworn in within five days.
The process is expected to be completed by the end of June.
