Türkiye to elect new parliament speaker on Wednesday

By Diyar Guldogan

ANKARA (AA) – Türkiye's 600 members of parliament on Wednesday will convene to elect a new speaker.

Seven candidates are competing for the post, including Numan Kurtulmus, joint nominee of the Justice and Development (AK) Party and Nationalist Movement Party (MHP); Tekin Bingol from the Republican People's Party (CHP), Tulay Hamitogullari Oruc from the Green Left Party (YSP), Mustafa Cihan Pacaci from the IYI (Good) Party, Mustafa Yeneroglu from the Democracy and Progress (DEVA) Party, and Serap Yazici Ozbudun from the Gelecek (Future) Party.

In addition, the chairman of the Türkiye Labor Party (TIP) Erkan Bas submitted the petition of the imprisoned MP Serafettin Can Atalay for candidacy to the general secretariat of the parliament.

According to the Turkish Constitution, the parliament speaker is elected via secret ballot up to four rounds – as many as are necessary – on a single day.

In the first two rounds, the candidates will seek two-thirds majority (400) in the 600-seat parliament.

If the election goes to a third round, a simple majority – 301 votes – is sufficient to name the new speaker who will undertake the role for two years.

If majority cannot be obtained, a fourth ballot shall be held on the same day in a runoff vote between the two candidates who received the highest number of votes in the third. The member who receives the greatest number of votes in the fourth ballot will be elected speaker.

In May 14 elections, the AK Party emerged as the main party in parliament, gaining 268 seats.

In addition to the AK Party, its People’s Alliance partners the MHP won 50 seats and the New Welfare Party (YRP) won five, securing a combined majority of 323 seats.

With 169 deputies, the CHP, along with its coalition partner the IYI Party, secured 212 seats in parliament, representing the main opposition Nation's Alliance.

Parliament's remaining 65 seats were won by the Labor and Freedom Alliance, made up of the Green Left Party with 61 seats and the Türkiye Labor Party with four.