The tension continues to rise in Turkey as the country hurdles towards civil war and political gridlock.
President Recep Tayyip Erdogan is keen on sending the country back to the polls in an effort to nullify a stunning ballot box victory by the pro-Kurdish HDP in June. Erdogan - who hopes to consolidate his power by rewriting the constitution - has launched a renewed military offensive against the PKK and has been accused of obstructing lawmakers’ efforts to form a coalition government, leading at least on opposition leader to compare the President to Hitler.
In what looks like the latest escalation in a string of wartime crackdowns, Turkey has declared a curfew for citizens of Lice, a district of Diyarbakir province. As Bloomberg reports, "citizens are prohibited from going out on streets from 9pm tonight until 7am on Tuesday."
Additionally, "the Governor of Diyarbakir [has] declared ‘special security zones’ in Silvan, Lice, Kulp and Dicle," citing the PKK "terror" threat.
Meanwhile, the lira had plunged to a new low against the dollar amid the political turmoil, although amusingly, the currency pared some losses after reports indicated Prime Minister Ahmet Davutoglu is set to make “very nice statements” after another round of coalition talks.
Here's the latest from Bloomberg on the negotiations which appear to have reached a stalemate:
“I believe I’ve tried all paths for a government,” acting prime minister and AK Party leader Ahmet Davutoglu says in televised remarks after meeting nationalist MHP leader Devlet Bahceli today in Ankara.
Bahceli said a coalition with the ruling AK Party isn’t possible
Bahceli also said that MHP wouldn’t support a short-term govt with AKP, a minority AKP govt, or early elections
Davutoglu says next steps to follow meeting with President Recep Tayyip Erdogan
Turkey’s AKP unable to form a govt w/ CHP or MHP: Davutoglu
Davutoglu says he told Bahceli presidency not under discussion during talks to form a govt, while MHP said that making Erdogan retreat to the constitutional limits of the presidency was a precondition for any partnership
Expect Erodgan to call for snap elections soon, paving the way for the complete subversion of the democratic process on the way to the forced institution of an executive presidency which Erdogan claims is already the "de facto" form of government.
