Turkey’s Islamist ‘Felicity Party’ (SP) chair Temel Karamollaoğlu said on Wednesday that his party wanted to hold a meeting with Abdullah Gül, one of the founders of Turkey's ruling AKP party, if the "opportunity" rises.
When asked by journalists if they were holding meetings with other parties for alliances, Karamollaoğlu said: "We are open to dialogues. We'll meet with everyone. We’ll also meet parties that are opposition. We’ll meet with Mr Abdullah Gül when there is a chance. We are meeting with many other people. If there is anyone who wants to convey their ideas or thoughts to us, we will also conduct meetings with them."
Turkish President Tayyip Erdoğan said on Wednesday elections will be held on June 24, 2018, more than a year earlier than planned. Both presidential and parliamentary elections will be held on the same day, on June 24.
Abdullah Gül, one of leading founders of the ruling Justice and Development Party (AKP), a close friend of Erdoğan, served as the President of Turkey, in office from 2007 to 2014. He previously served for four months as Prime Minister from 2002 to 2003, and concurrently served as both Deputy Prime Minister and as Foreign Minister between 2003 and 2007.
The Felicity Party was founded in 2001 after the Virtue Party (FP) was banned by the Constitutional Court. While the party's reformist wing formed the AKP party, the hardliners founded the Felicity Party. Both parties originated in the Welfare Party (Refah Partisi), the party of Islamist ex-politician Necmettin Erbakan.
