Erdogan's party slips in Turkish parliamentary elections

ANKARA, Turkey, June 8 (UPI) -- The political party of Turkish Present Recep Tayyip Erogan is pondering its options Monday after losing its parliamentary majority.

Although the Justice and Development Party, or the A.K.P, won 41 percent of the votes in Sunday elections and will hold onto 258 seats in the 550-seat Parliament, it will lose its outright majority for the first time since 2002. The vote, in which the Kurdish Peoples' Democratic Party took 13.5 percent of the vote and 80 seats in a surprising success, suggests Erdogan's plan to rewrite the country's Constitution, further control the judiciary and continue suppressing free speech, including court prosecutions for those who criticize him on social media, has run into stumbling blocks.

The A.K.P. still has the majority of seats in Parliament, but the results suggest a coalition government and the possibility of a new election if a government cannot be formed. The main opposition party, the Republican People's Party (CHP) received 25 percent of the votes and 131 seats; the Nationalist Movement Party (MHP), 16.5 percent of the voters and 82 seats. Eighty-six percent of eligible voters took part in the election, which, although Erdogan was not a candidate, could be regarded as a referendum on his administration.

Prime Minister Ahmet Davutoglu, whose position wields considerably more power than that of the presidency, convened a meeting Monday at A.K.P. headquarters to review strategy.

Erdogan remains Turkey's dominant political figure, with strong support from the country's religious conservatives, but the vote indicates his popularity could be diminishing.

"A lot of people in Kasimpasa (an Istanbul neighborhood in which Ergodan formerly lived) have become disheartened by Erdogan's aggressive approach in recent weeks," one man, who identified himself only by his first name, Aydin, told the New York Times. "I voted for the A.K.P. because it has become habit, but I think Erdogan lost votes this week."