With tacit support of Turkish nationalists, ruling party wins parliament speaker post

Published July 23, 2015

Turkey's parliament has elected the ruling party's candidate as its new speaker with the tacit support of a right-wing nationalist party, a move that represents a serious gesture to the ruling party as Turkey heads toward coalition-building talks.

Ismet Yilmaz — the ruling party's nominee and the defense minister in the outgoing government — won 258 votes Wednesday, beating the left-wing party's candidate in a face-off Wednesday. The nationalist party cast invalid votes, implicitly helping Yilmaz take the post to lead Turkey's 550-seat parliament.

The ruling Islamic-rooted Justice and Development Party came first in Turkey's June 7 elections, taking 258 seats but losing its majority, forcing it to seek a coalition partnership. The election of the speaker was being watched for clues on possible coalition alliances.

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https://www.foxnews.com/world/with-tacit-support-of-turkish-nationalists-ruling-party-wins-parliament-speaker-post