Grand National Assembly of Turkey

A minor nationalist party that is not represented at Parliament has become the seventh political party to so far declare support for presidential candidate Ekmeleddin İhsanoğlu, saying an “ideal president” would put an end to the government-led resolution process to find a peaceful solution to the long-running Kurdish issue.

A request to visit mines in the U.S. and Australia by the parliamentary commission investigating the Soma mine disaster has triggered a reaction from one opposition deputy, who alleges that it is a “vacation” request, daily Milliyet has reported.

A main opposition lawmaker has submitted a parliamentary question over the distribution of free coal in an Aegean town in the middle of summer, right before the upcoming presidential elections in August.

None of the three presidential candidates is representing a profile that could convince 100 percent of all voters in Turkey to willingly vote in favor of him, presidential candidate Selahattin Demirtaş has acknowledged, putting the blame on the system which requires support from 20 members of the Parliament in order to be able to run in presidential elections.

Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdoğan may have been nominated for the presidency, but the question of who will lead the Justice and Development Party (AKP) after him still remains uncertain.

The whips of Bulgaria's parliamentary groups will have a meeting on Tuesday to discuss the priorities in the remaining days of the outgoing parliament. 

The meeting is upon the invitation of Speaker of Parliament Mihail Mikov who warned that the attempts of some parliamentary groups to block the work of Parliament undermine the foundations of democracy. 

Presidential candidate İhsanoğlu takes a dig at PM Erdoğan, saying Turkey must continue with the parliamentary system to avoid problems Ekmeleddin İhsanoğlu, the joint presidential candidate of the two main opposition parties, has said the current parliamentary system fits Turkey better than any presidential system would.

Main opposition Republican People’s Party (CHP) introduces its own bill on the Kurdish peace process, a day after the ruling Justice and Development Party’s (AKP) move on the issue A day after the ruling Justice and Development Party (AKP) submitted a bill providing legal framework for the ongoing Kurdish peace talks, the Republican People’s Party (CHP) has introduced its own bill

Chief of General Staff Gen. Necdet Özel visited President Haşim Kılıç of the Constitutional Court on June 24.

Sources said the meeting was scheduled before the delivery of the top Court’s ruling concerning the Balyoz coup case convicts.

Still, Özel expressed his “extreme pleasure” over the ruling during his meeting with Kılıç, the same sources said.

Nationalist Movement Party (MHP) Istanbul deputy Engin Alan, a Balyoz convict who was released from prison last week, has taken his oath at Parliament, almost three years after being elected as a member of Parliament in June 2011.