ANKARA
Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan's meeting with former opposition leader and newly elected MP Deniz Baykal has ended after more than two hours as coalition talks between parties following Sunday's parliamentary elections continue.
Speaking to journalists after the meeting in Ankara, CHP deputy Baykal said Erdogan is open to "any coalition formula."
"The meeting request was a sudden one, decided in the morning upon the President's request," Baykal said. "We did not discuss the coalition (possibilities), as I do not have any authority for such a meeting."
Baykal also said the meeting's place, the foreign minister's residence, was convenient to both his and Erdogan's schedule.
"He did not have any special request, but I can make some inferences," Baykal said. "I saw that Erdogan wants stability and a solution in Turkey immediately."
"I saw that Erdogan is open to any coalition formula. I gladly saw that he has no objections to opposition parties forming a coalition among themselves," Baykal added.
"It was a general discussion, we exchanged our views."
Baykal also said that an early election "is not a preferable solution."
Erdogan's meeting with the former Republican People's Party leader on Wednesday had started at 12.15 p.m. local time (0915GMT) at the foreign minister's residence in Ankara.
Sources said that Erdogan discussed how the Turkish parliament will function under Baykal, since he will preside over the national assembly until a speaker is elected to the parliament.
Baykal (76) is the oldest elected MP in the parliament after Sunday's general election.
The former CHP leader then headed to his party's headquarters to meet with CHP leader Kemal Kilicdaroglu.
The Justice and Development (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.
Erdogan accepted Tuesday the cabinet's resignation submitted by the Prime Minister and AK Party Chairman Ahmet Davutoglu. The cabinet was asked to continue its duties until the formation of a new government.
Erdogan is expected to ask Davutoglu to form a government after the parliament convenes.
