Turkey: AK Party-MHP coalition 'looks positive'

By Enes Kaplan

ANKARA (AA) - Turkey's ruling Justice and Development (AK) Party spokesman on Wednesday said a possible coalition in the local elections with opposition Nationalist Movement Party (MHP) "is looking positive."

Speaking to media in capital Ankara after President Recep Tayyip Erdogan, who is the head of the ruling party, and MHP leader Devlet Bahceli's meeting in the Presidential Complex, Omer Celik said: "I can say that we are in a positive position for collaboration [with MHP] in local elections."

Celik said deputy chairmen of the two political parties will gather in the upcoming days to present their reports to the party heads on the possible alliance in the local elections and then Erdogan and Bahceli will meet again.

Today’s meeting between the leaders lasted 55 minutes.

"[It was] a very pleasant meeting. We are in a very positive spot in terms of collaboration in the local elections," Celik said, without elaborating.

The spokesman also said AK Party will unveil its mayor candidates for Istanbul, Ankara and Izmir, as well as for 40 other provinces on Saturday.

Last month, Erdogan praised People's Alliance and said: "We see the People's Alliance as one of the most important gains of our country recently, and we want to carry it into the future."

The People’s Alliance -- formed early this year, ahead of June general elections -- includes the AK Party and MHP as well as the much smaller Grand Unity Party.

The president said they never did anything which will harm the spirit of the alliance, adding that his party will not be involved in any action against it.