Parliament Unable To Found Spokespersons Board, Coalition Talks Delayed

- With President Tayyip Erdoğan repeatedly declaring he will give the mandate to form a new government only after parliament establishes its board, the new assembly’s related body has not been able agree to the makeup of the board, delaying the procedure to kick off coalition talks by at least two days.

At the July 7 meeting of the Board of Spokespersons called by Parliament Speaker İsmet Yılmaz, all four parties’ approval was required to make a decision.

The Justice and Development Party (AKP), the Republican People’s Party (CHP) and the Peoples’ Democratic Party (HDP) agreed on having an 18-member board, while the Nationalist Movement Party (MHP) insisted on having a 15-member board.

According to the consensus of the three parties, the board would have consisted of eight members from the AKP, four members from the CHP and three members each from the MHP and the HDP.

Due to the MHP’s objection, Yılmaz is expected to present the formula agreed upon by the three parties to a plenary session of parliament on July 8. The issue will be solved by deputies voting in line with the alliances made by their parties.

Only in that case, Yılmaz can call on the parties to report the names of their candidates for the bureau. The CHP reported its candidates, while the MHP and the HDP have also designated their candidates.

The AKP, however, hasn’t yet designated or reported their candidates to parliament. The AKP is expected to elect its candidates at a parliamentary group meeting on July 9. The board will be officially formed after the names of the members are read out at a plenary session. This may happen if the AKP manages to finish the election in time, enabling the names to be read out later on July 9.

If not, the procedure of reading out the names may extend to a plenary session on July 14, meaning Erdoğan could provide the mandate next week.