BRUSSELS, Belgium – The European Union on Monday praised Turkey’s general elections a day before, saying the high voter turnout was “a clear sign of strength of the Turkish democracy.”
“The fact that all major political parties obtained representation in the new parliament is particularly important,” said a joint statement by EU foreign policy chief Federica Mogherini and commissioner Johannes Hahn.
“Turkey's general election on 7 June took place with a record 86 percent turnout, a clear sign of strength of the Turkish democracy,” the statement said.
“We now look forward to the swift formation of a new parliament and government, and to working together closely,” it added.
Meanwhile in Turkey, where preliminary results showed the ruling Justice and Development Party (AKP) losing its parliamentary majority, Deputy Prime Minister Numan Kurtulmus said Monday that the party would first try to form a coalition, but did not rule out an early election.
The elections were a victory for the Peoples’ Democratic Party (HDP), which looks set to become the first Kurdish-rooted party to enter Turkey’s parliament.
Final results are expected in about 10 days.
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