Turkey was facing weeks of political turmoil Monday after the ruling AK Party lost its parliamentary majority in weekend elections, dealing a blow to President Tayyip Erdogan’s ambitions to acquire sweeping new powers.
Instead of the two-thirds majority he had wanted to change the constitution and create a new presidential republic, the AK Party failed even to achieve a simple majority for the first time in 13 years.
It leaves the prospect of difficult coalition negotiations between reluctant opposition parties. Another round of elections could be held if talks fail.
Jubilant Kurds flooded the streets of the southeastern city of Diyarbakir late Sunday, setting off fireworks and waving flags, after the pro-Kurdish Peoples’ Democratic Party (HDP) crossed a 10 percent threshold to enter parliament for the first time.
The party was boosted by widening its appeal beyond its Kurdish core vote to center-left and secularists disillusioned with Erdogan.
Source: NBC
