Pro-Kurdish party joins interim Turkish government
It is the first time a Kurdish party has been represented in government
ANKARA (AFP) - Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan on Friday approved the make-up of the provisional cabinet that will run the country until November 1 elections, including for the first time two pro-Kurdish party MPs.
"Our president... approved the interim cabinet formed under the leadership of Prime Minister Mr Davutoglu," the presidency said after a nearly one-hour meeting between Erdogan and Prime Minister Ahmet Davutoglu.
The lawmakers are from the pro-Kurdish Peoples Democratic Party (HDP) -- which is the first time a Kurdish party has been represented in government.
The newly appointed cabinet will not have to seek a vote of confidence in the parliament according to the constitution. The president s approval is considered enough.
The repeat elections come after the ruling Justice and Development Party (AKP) co-founded by Erdogan failed to win an overall majority in a June vote and subsequent talks to form a coalition government broke down.
The formation of a caretaker government to lead Turkey up to the polls is unprecedented in the country s political history -- never before have post-poll coalition talks ended without results.
The pro-Kurdish lawmakers are Ali Haydar Konca, who will act as EU affairs minister, and Muslum Dogan, tapped to be development minister, Davutoglu said in a press announcement.
