Turkey just moved one step closer to holding early elections
By Raziye Akkoc
The Turkish election board gives the date of November 1 for a possible early election after coalition talks between the two largest parties fail
Turkey's chances of heading for an early election increased substantially on Thursday when the Turkish high election board said November 1 would be the proposed date for snap polls.
Officials from the country's leading Justice and Development Party (AKP) said the board had given the date after weeks of coalitions talks between the country's two largest parties failed.
A second election within six months of the previous one comes at a fraught time for Turkey with its flagging economy amid increased violence between Kurdish militants from the Kurdistan Workers' Party (PKK) and the state.
Turkey also faces a greater threat from Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant (Isil) who urged extremists within to attack the "traitor" country.
In a video released on Monday, an Isil spokesman called Turkish president Recep Tayyip Erdogan a "tyrant traitor" and exhorted its followers inside the country to rise up “wherever they are and however they can” against the government.
The president gave the mandate to Ahmet Davutoglu, the Turkish prime minister, on July 9 to form a government after no party won the June 7 election.
Initially many had hope that AKP could form a coalition with the Republican People's Party (CHP) but last week, coalition talks ended with no agreement.
A subsequent possible deal with the far-Right Nationalist Movement Party (MHP) did not happen either and on Tuesday, Mr Davutoglu returned the mandate to Mr Erdogan.
The Supreme Election Board (YSK) has presented a draft calendar to the representatives of the four parties in parliament, the state-run news agency Anadolu reported.
This means that once an official decision is made on whether to hold an early election, preparations can be completed within 60 days.
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