ADIYAMAN, Turkey
Turkish Prime Minister Ahmet Davutoglu has called on the leaders of Turkey's opposition parties to retire from politics in case of a defeat in the country's parliamentary elections, which is scheduled for June 7.
"Here I am making the call: Whoever loses the elections shall leave politics," he told a campaign rally of his ruling Justice and Development Party in the southeastern province of Adiyaman on Friday.
Davutoglu's resignation call came after leaders of three U.K. opposition parties – Labour Party leader Ed Miliband, Liberal Democrat leader Nick Clegg, and U.K. Independence Party (UKIP) leader Nigel Farage – resigned on Friday after suffering severe losses against PM David Cameron's Conservative Party.
The Turkish premier reiterated that he is ready to resign if his AK Party loses the elections -- which he sees as “impossible.”
“[If we lose], then I will quit politics the next day. How about you? Are you ready to leave your seats?” he asked, aiming at opposition leaders.
After political parties announced their candidates’ lists in April, Davutoglu said: “If I win, I will continue to hold my post under democratic conditions, but if I lose, of which there is a low chance, I will hand over my seat to the winner and write books.”
The AK Party was victorious in last year’s March local elections and its then leader Recep Tayyip Erdogan claimed the presidential election in August 2014.
In the 2011 general election, the AK Party received almost 50 percent of votes.
Approximately 56 million Turkish citizens are eligible to vote next month in the country's 25th general election to choose 550 lawmakers for the parliament. Candidates are representing 20 political parties.
The voting process started on Friday for Turkish citizens presently in the country, but who normally live abroad, at Turkey's 33 customs gates.
Turkish expats are also able to vote at 112 polling stations in 54 countries between Friday and May 31.
Turkey held general election every five years until a 2007 constitutional change, which set elections to every four years.
