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Pro-Kurdish MPs invited into Turkey cabinet

August 26, 2015

For the first time in Turkey's history, pro-Kurdish lawmakers could be part of an interim government ahead of elections in November. After failure to form a coalition, a caretaker cabinet is a constitutional obligation.

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Türkei - Premierminister Ahmet Davutoglu und Selahattin Demirtas
Image: Getty Images/AFP/A. Altan

Prime Minister Ahmet Davutoglu (photo left) has invited high profile opposition figures to join an interim cabinet to rule for the next two months until elections on November 1 after he failed to form a coalition following the June elections. Among those invited are three members of the pro-Kurdish Peoples' Democratic Party (HDP).

If they accept the invitation, it would be the first time in Turkish history that representatives of a pro-Kurdish party have taken seats in the government.

According to Davutoglu's office, five members of the main opposition CHP and three from nationalist MHP, as well as the three from HDP, were invited to join the government on Wednesday.

Under the plan, the ruling AKP would have 11 ministries. Five ministries would go to the second biggest party the Republican People's Party (CHP) and three each to the Nationalist Movement Party (MHP) and the HDP.

The invited HDP MPs are Levent Tuzel, Muslum Dogan and Ali Haydar Konca. HDP co-leader Selahattin Demirtas (photo right) has said his party is willing to take part in the caretaker cabinet.

The lawmakers have until Thursday evening to make their decisions on whether or not to join the cabinet.

Turkey recently launched a renewed armed offensive against Kurdistan Workers' Party (PKK) rebels ending a 2013 ceasefire. Both Davutoglu and President Recep Tayyip Erdogan have accused the HDP of being the political front for the PKK, which is outlawed by Turkey and its Western allies as a terror group.

Murat Yetkin, editor-in-chief of Hurriyet Daily News wrote: "This is a worst-case scenario for Davutoglu and the AKP."

AKP vote shortage

The CHP and MHP have indicated that they will not join the government. In that case, their cabinet seats would be taken by apolitical experts. This would result in the AKP having the HDP as its sole political cabinet partner until the November 1 polls.

The AKP hopes to regain its overall majority at the November elections. "I believe that November 1 will be an election of stability or instability," Erdogan said in a speech in Ankara. "God willing, this country will reach stability again."

According to a recent poll by Metropoll, the AKP would fall short of the votes needed to form a single-party government in November with only 41.7 percent of the vote. The main opposition CHP is on 25.5 percent, the nationalist MHP at 15.7 percent and the pro-Kurdish HDP at 14.7 percent.

jm/jil (AFP, Reuters)