AKP, CHP test waters for possible coalition

Unofficial consultations between the ruling and the main opposition parties have begun to test the waters as to whether the two bitter political rivals can form Turkey's next government. 

Talks between the Justice and Development Party (AKP), which garnered 40.8 percent of the votes with 258 seats in parliament, and the Republican People's Party (CHP), which took 25 percent of the vote with 132 seats, are just preliminary and unofficial. Talks are being carried out by a group of politicians from the two parties who believe that the AKP-CHP coalition government is the best alternative for the normalization and restoration of Turkey. 

The politicians, who are close to the chairmen of the two parties, are trying to create a basis for official negotiations to be carried out after the mandate to form the next government is given to Prime Minister Ahmet Davuto?lu. The meetings came just a day before Davuto?lu was scheduled to meet President Recep Tayyip Erdo?an.

Those who are holding talks between the AKP and the CHP are trying to examine the possibility of a coalition government between the two and to determine potential problems before this agreement. AKP-CHP coalition would be focused on efforts to strengthen the economy, intensify social investments, take steps in expanding freedoms and continue the democratization process, according to the politicians. They also think this coalition would also continue the Kurdish peace process as the two parties' views are not very different on the matter. 

However, there are also some problematic issues that could block the formation of such a coalition due to conditions from the CHP. The social democratic would likely demand that four former ministers implicated in a 2013 corruption case be sent...