Erdogan: Turkish Parties Should Be Sensitive to Political Stability

Recep Tayyip Erdogan, the President of Turkey, who lost his parliamentary majority in the recent elections, urged the country's parties to act "responsibly" and be sensitive to maintaining political stability. According to a statement issued by the presidential office on June 8, Erdogan said, "It is very important in this new process for all political forces to show responsible behavior and be sensitive to preserving an atmosphere of stability and confidence in the country and democratic achievements." This statement is the first reaction from the Turkish presidency to the announcement of the election results on Sunday. The Justice and Development Party (AKP) lost its parliamentary majority in this election. The report indicates that Erdogan intended to change the parliamentary system to a presidential system if he gained a majority. In his statement, the Turkish president did not specify support for any party and stated that the election results reflect a "real and healthy" competition. The report suggests that the AKP may have to form a coalition to establish a government. According to Reuters, Erdogan stated, "The views of the people of the country take precedence over everything. In my opinion, the result of this election does not allow any party to form a majority government, and the formation of the government will be with the healthy and realistic presence of other parties." Pre-election reports indicated that the AKP would outpace its rivals in this election. With the announced results, this party will no longer be able to make changes to the political system and constitution. The leftist "People's Democratic Party" (HDP) managed to secure over 12% of the votes and met the 10% threshold required to enter parliament. The Islamist AKP seeks to increase presidential power in Turkey, and critics of Erdogan say that the Turkish president wants to enhance his personal power. In this context, slogans of "Death to Erdogan" were raised in Turkey ahead of the elections. The ruling party of Turkey lost its parliamentary majority.