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Pro-Kurdish party joins interim Turkish government


Friday, 28 August, 2015 , 18:05

Ankara, Aug 28, 2015 (AFP) — Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan on Friday approved the make-up of the provisional cabinet that will run the country until November 1 elections, including for the first time two pro-Kurdish party MPs.

"Our president... approved the interim cabinet formed under the leadership of Prime Minister Mr Davutoglu," the presidency said after a nearly one-hour meeting between Erdogan and Prime Minister Ahmet Davutoglu.

The lawmakers are from the pro-Kurdish Peoples' Democratic Party (HDP) -- which is the first time a Kurdish party has been represented in government.

The newly appointed cabinet will not have to seek a vote of confidence in the parliament according to the constitution. The president's approval is considered enough.

The repeat elections come after the ruling Justice and Development Party (AKP) co-founded by Erdogan failed to win an overall majority in a June vote and subsequent talks to form a coalition government broke down.

The formation of a caretaker government to lead Turkey up to the polls is unprecedented in the country's political history -- never before have post-poll coalition talks ended without results.

The pro-Kurdish lawmakers are Ali Haydar Konca, who will act as EU affairs minister, and Muslum Dogan, tapped to be development minister, Davutoglu said in a press announcement.