By Redha Sardar
ANKARA, Sept 3 (KUNA) -- Supporters of the Turkish Nationalist Movement Party could vote for candidates of the Justice and Development Party (AKP) in the elections slated for November 1st, a Turkish scholar said on Tuesday.
"Nationalist Movement supporters will 'punish' their party's own members for not taking part in the formation of the interim government, especially during the current tense time that sees clashes between Turkish troops and the PKK," said Bilgehan Ozturk of the Foundation for Political, Economic and Social Research (SETA) in an interview with KUNA.
He added that should this step is taken and AKP achieves majority to solely form the government; it would contribute to doubling government efforts to fight PKK's "terrorism." Yet, Ozturk carried on, "abandoning the peace process with the Kurds is the Nationalist Movement's main condition to enter negotiations for a coalition government along with the AKP.
"The PKK torpedoed the peace process and came; after three years for negotiations, to launch armed attacks throughout Turkey, which led to many lives to be lost, both among military and civilians." The latest bloody bout between the PKK (Kurdistan Workers' Party) and government forces claimed seven lives last Sunday.
A ceasefire brokered in 2013 provided a respite, but a suicide bombing inside Turkey -- by fighters from the Islamic State group (ISIL), and which PKK accuses Turkish authorities of being involved in -- sparked a new round of violence on July 20.
Moreover, PKK forces claimed responsibility for suicide attacks in southeastern Turkey, which borders Syria. A number of governments, including the United States, European Union and Turkey, consider the PKK a terrorist organization.
Ozturk said that Nationalist Movement leader Devlet Bahceli was "keen" on forming a coalition government with the AKP in light of existing security threats.
However, he underestimated the significance of having two ministers belonging to the Peoples' Democratic Party; a left-wing and pro-Kurdish political party, within the current interim government, and its role in persuading PKK to disarm, stop violent attacks and resume the peace process.
On August 25, Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan re-designated Ahmet Davutoglu as prime minister of a caretaker government pending the November 1st general elections.
The mandate was given to Davutoglu, the chairman of AKP, based on Article 114 of the Turkish Constitution. The decision came a day after the major parties missed the deadline for forming a coalition government since the polls of June 7. (end) rs.hb