Erdoğan Calls on Political Parties to Form New Government

In his first television appearance since losing a parliamentary majority in Sunday’s election, Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan has asked all political parties to put aside their differences and rapidly form a new government.

Erdoğan stated, “Everyone is obliged to respect the people’s choice. The election results painted a political picture in which our nation did not give the opportunity for one party to rule alone.”

He had campaigned voraciously in a bid to win a supermajority for the ruling party, which would have enabled him to change the Constitution and usher in a presidential system allowing him to control government affairs, similar to Vladimir Putin’s Russia.

Now the party has been forced to seek a coalition partner. Analysts believe the election result may temper Erdoğan’s national policy back toward secularization.