Erdo?an takes Turkey to re-election as opposition warns PM over 'indecent proposal'

As President Recep Tayyip Erdo?an officially announced his decision to take Turkey to re-election in November, Prime Minister Ahmet Davuto?lu?s bid to offer posts in the interim government to individual figures from the Republican People?s Party (CHP) and the Nationalist Movement Party (MHP) has been given the cold shoulder, with senior executives from both parties dubbing the proposal ?indecent.? 

After a meeting that took longer than four hours with Parliament Speaker ?smet Y?lmaz, Erdo?an announced his decision with a written statement late Aug. 24. 

"Despite contacts with all political parties, a cabinet of ministers could not be formed and it became clear that it was not possible to do so under current conditions. As such, a necessity to renew the election has appeared," the statement said, citing Constitution's articles that gave Erdo?an the authority for this decision.

According to Turkey's Constitution, an interim government must be formed in five days and the re-election must be held in 90 days.

Both the CHP and the MHP have already made clear that they will not take part in such an interim government led by the Justice and Development Party (AKP), which won the highest number of votes in the June election despite losing its parliamentary majority. Despite this, AKP leader Davuto?lu suggested on Aug. 23 that he planned to offer cabinet posts to individual figures from the CHP and the MHP, arguing that the constitution grants him such an authority.

However, CHP Deputy Parliamentary Group Chair Özgür Özel slammed the offer on Aug. 24. 

?All our doors are closed to such an indecent proposal. Our phones are closed. If they call us, if they harass us for such an indecent proposal, then we will block out Davuto...