Turkey's Erdogan warns parties not to make his presidency an issue in coalition-building talks
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}Turkish Prime Minister and leader of Justice and Development Party Ahmet Davutoglu speaks to the media after a meeting with Kemal Kilicdaroglu, the leader of the main opposition Republican People's Party, CHP, in Ankara, Turkey, Monday, July 13. 2015. Davutoglu has begun a first round of talks on forming a coalition government by meeting officials of Turkey’s secularist party, CHP, his ruling Islamic-rooted party’s arch-foe. Davutoglu met with Kilicdaroglu on Monday, a month after Turkey’s June 7 election left his party short of a majority, forcing it to seek a coalition alliance.(AP Photo/Burhan Ozbilici) (The Associated Press)
Turkey's president has warned parties not to make his position an issue in their coalition-building efforts and said he will stand in the way of any deal that would nix his dream projects.
Recep Tayyip Erdogan's statement late on Monday came as the Islamic-rooted ruling party prepared for talks with Turkey's far-right nationalist party, its second meeting with parties to test the waters for a possible coalition.
The ruling party's likely coalition partners accuse Erdogan of overstepping the powers of the presidency and want him reined in.
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}Erdogan suggested that some parties want to shelve projects — criticized by environmentalists — such as the construction of Istanbul's third airport and third bridge.
The ruling party lost its parliamentary majority in elections last month, forcing it to seek a coalition partnership.