ANKARA
Turkish Prime Minister Ahmet Davutoglu has called on all four parties involved in coalition talks to submit a joint declaration denouncing terror and violence in the country.
Davutoglu made the call at a press conference Wednesday following a meeting with pro-Kurdish Peoples' Democratic Party (HDP) leaders, Selahattin Demirtas and Figen Yuksekdag as part of efforts to form a new Turkish government.
"Let's make a joint declaration which says we are ready to do all we can to ensure that democratic standards are brought to the highest level in Turkey, and that we will not tolerate any intervention which includes elements of terror, violence and pressure," the Turkish premier said.
Davutoglu praised Demirtas' comments on the reduction, and eventual elimination, of weapons as democracy increases, saying: "These are the words we want to hear."
"This disarmament will happen in Turkey one way or another. Let's do this together," Davutoglu said, adding that it is important that prior promises made as part of the Kurdish ‘solution process’ are kept if democracy is to be protected.
"This would help create a more positive environment in Turkey around the principles of peace, democracy and justice," he said, adding that all parties should show the same sensitivity towards maintaining democracy and public order.
'Turkey's HDP can be constructive opposition'
Turkey's Peoples' Democratic Party (HDP) could provide constructive opposition to a coalition government that supports justice, peace and democracy, one of the party’s leading figures said on Wednesday.
Sirri Sureyya Onder, an Ankara deputy for the pro-Kurdish left-wing party, spoke out following a meeting between Prime Minister Ahmet Davutoglu, of the Justice and Development (AK) Party, and HDP leaders Selahattin Demirtas and Figen Yuksekdag.
Davutoglu is currently seeking a coalition partner to form a government following the June 7 election. The Republican People's Party (CHP) is seen as the likely candidate after the Nationalist Movement Party (MHP) ruled out joining a two-party government on Tuesday.
"We have stated that if an AKP and CHP coalition includes these three topics, we will take a stance as a constructive and contributing opposition," Onder told journalists following the meeting at the HDP’s headquarters in Ankara.
The HDP entered the Grand National Assembly for the first time last month, winning 80 seats in an election that saw the AK Party lose its majority.
Former film director, writer Onder said the meeting with Davutoglu focused on domestic issues. One of the HDP's main concerns is keeping the “solution process” talks with the outlawed Kurdistan Workers’ Party (PKK) alive.
Turkey's so-called solution process refers to the efforts by the government, launched in 2013, to end the decades-old conflict with the outlawed Kurdistan Workers’ Party (PKK) in the country's eastern and southeastern regions; this has resulted in a call for a congress for disarmament from jailed PKK leader Abdullah Ocalan.
Coalition talks started Monday when Davutoglu met with Republican People's Party (CHP) leader Kemal Kilicdaroglu, followed by a meeting with the head of the Nationalist Movement Party (MHP), Devlet Bahceli, on Tuesday.
"The second round of meetings will be held in accordance with the atmosphere following Eid al-Fitr," Davutoglu said on July 9, referring to post-Ramadan celebrations.
Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan had asked Davutoglu to form a new government on July 9.
Davutoglu now has less than a month left to form a government around his Justice and Development (AK) Party, which gained the largest share of parliamentary seats (258) in the June 7 general election.
Although the party came in first, it did not win enough seats (276 seats) to form a majority government, so it must attempt to forge a coalition with one of three other parliamentary parties - the second place CHP (132 seats), the MHP (80 seats) or the pro-Kurdish HDP (80 seats).
Either the left-leaning CHP or the nationalist MHP are likely to be Davutoglu's preferred partners.
If he is unable to form a coalition, tradition dictates the president should offer the second place party the chance to create an administration within another 45-day period. Should this also fail to provide Turkey with a governing coalition, the president must call a fresh election and appoint a prime minister within five days to form an interim government consisting of representatives from all four parties.
The new election would likely be held around the end of November.
Turkey's last coalition talks were 16 years ago, when the Democratic Left Party of the late premier Bulent Ecevit failed to win a majority at the general election on April 18, 1999.
