Precautionary steps for the survivability of the coaliton

YENI CAG MARCH 9 AHMET TAKAN

...We found out that they discussed early elections at their own councils, according to the pro-AKP media. The AKP Ordinary Congress was pushed up from autumn to the beginning of summer. “The Afrin operation will be over by May. We will then mount a cross-border operation against the PKK in Iraq together with the Iraqi administration,” said Foreign Minister Mevlut Cavusoglu last week. All of this took place after the three-and-a-half-hour meeting with the US Attorney General Rex Tillerson at the palace. Up until this point, every source I asked in the General Staff headquarters said that the Afrin operation could not end before August! The AKP’s vote was stuck at 40 percent, Erdogan’s at around 45 percent. The 50 percent plus one result is still very hard to achieve even with the MHP’s support. For this reason, some sort of process will be started with the moderate wing of the HDP. Next will be the “economic package.” After these have been adopted, public polls will be held again. Depending on the outcome, it will be decided when an early election will take place. The bets in the palace are on November 4, 2018, following the big show at the opening ceremonies for the new airport on October 29. However, July 15, 2018 is still a serious option.