An Erdo?an-Bahçeli coalition for early polls?

The June 7 general election obviously launched a new era in Turkey, with the Justice and Development Party (AKP) losing its majority at parliament and with the one-party government it has enjoyed since 2002 coming to an end. The results oblige the formation of a coalition government, something that President Recep Tayyip Erdo?an and other AKP officials had previously described as a ?nightmare.?

Although Erdo?an called on all political parties to act responsibly and not to leave the country without a government, it is known that this is not his principal priority. Erdo?an and his AKP were elected to the government in 2002 after three years of Turkey being ruled by a three-party coalition government that ruined both the political and the economic system. Today, this is the ?coalition fear? that Erdo?an and his successor Prime Minister Ahmet Davuto?lu have diffused to society, perhaps amid plans to go to an early election later this year. 

One week after the election, the point at which we have arrived indicates some important findings: 

- The AKP will be in government. It is clearly understood that a coalition government, if established, will be formed by the AKP (as the ?winner? of the election with 41 percent of the vote and 258 seats). Although its votes declined, the AKP is still a party represented in almost every province, with a clear potential to increase its votes in coming elections. Many projects have been launched by previous AKP governments and the AKP would not like to see other parties capitalizing on them for their future political purposes. What?s more, the AKP has to stay in the driving seat in order not to give opposition parties the chance to revive corruption cases. 

- Both the CHP and MHP seem reluctant to...