ISTANBUL, Turkey, Nov. 1 (UPI) — Turks took to the polls Sunday for the second time in five months after the ruling party lost its majority in parliament and failed to form a coalition government.
The snap parliamentary election comes after the ruling Justice and Development Party, founded by President Recep Tayyip Erdogan, lost its majority in June. At the same time, the party representing the country’s Kurdish population won 13 percent of the vote, allowing it to take seats in parliament for the first time.
Polls suggest the Justice and Development Party, known as the AKP, will have a difficult task regaining the seats it needs without sharing power, a first since 2002. An inconclusive vote puts pressure on the president to support power-sharing to avert yet another election.
“We will all have to show respect to the national will,” Erdogan said after voting in Istanbul. “Turkey has made great strides in democracy and this stride will be strengthened with today’s election.”
The outcome of Sunday’s elections are expected to have far reaching effects, as world leaders expect Turkey to play a larger role in the fight against the Islamic State, also known as ISIS, Daesch and ISIL.
About 54 million are registered to vote in the country of about 80 million.
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