AK Party alliance with Felicity Party unlikely

Conservative Felicity Party (SP) High Advisory Board Chairman Oğuzhan Asiltürk published a written statement on Wednesday regarding the ongoing rumors of a possible alliance between the Justice and Development Party (AK Party) and the SP for the Nov. 1 early parliamentary elections in which he said the party demands to have a parliamentary group in order to form an alliance.

According to Asiltürk's statement in the party's newspaper Milli Gazete, the SP is not willing to form any sort of alliance with the AK Party unless a parliamentary group is established and stressed that the party strongly disagrees with nominating five to 10 deputies for the upcoming elections from the SP. In early September, Prime Minister Ahmet Davutoğlu had met with Asiltürk and proposed forming a commission and holding the talks, which resulted in disagreements, according to Asiltürk, and the leaders of the party are to make the final decision.

Asiltürk said the SP is preparing for the elections as though it will participate alone and that the AK Party commission requested to meet once more after the first round of talks failed. The decision is expected to be announced in the upcoming days as the AK Party will announce its deputy candidate list on Sept. 21.

The SP formed an alliance with the Grand Unity Party (BBP) for the June 7 general elections and received just over 2 percent of the national vote. Although the SP is not willing to form an alliance with the AK Party unless its demands are met, recent analyses obtained by the AK Party indicate that if the party had aligned with the SP during for June 7 general elections, the AK Party would have gained seven additional deputies from a number of regions, including Bayburt, Kocaeli and Van. While the alliance could increase votes, sources from the AK Party have said "though the alliance may create synergy, whether favorable or unfavorable, it may also come at a cost."