ISTANBUL
The Anadolu Agency does not verify these stories and does not vouch for their accuracy.
The majority of Wednesday’s newspapers dedicated their front pages to remarks by political leaders over coalition scenarios plus Turkish footballer Arda Turan’s multi-million-euro Barcelona transfer.
HABERTURK ran the headline: “Warm messages to coalition,” reporting that leaders of the four main Turkish political parties were giving out reconciliatory signals and that their rhetoric had softened.
Speaking at parliament on Tuesday, Republican Peoples’ Party (CHP) leader Kemal Kilicdaroglu said: “Democracy is a reconciliation regime. […] Leaders of four political parties’ duty is now to form a coalition and do what is necessary.”
“MHP [Nationalist Movement Party] will be on duty in case of any need, however it is hard and troublesome,” said party leader Devlet Bahceli on Tuesday during an iftar dinner in Ankara.
Speaking to media on Tuesday, pro-Kurdish Peoples' Democratic Party (HDP) co-chair Selahattin Demirtas also said: “Democracy, justice and peace: We believe if a coalition government is formed based on these three basic principles, we will meet Turkey’s needs.”
“There should not be hostility, feuding or individualization in policy,” he added.
During a speech in the eastern province of Van, Prime Minister Ahmet Davutoglu said: “We are open to every kind of meeting in order not to leave Turkey without a government even for one second.”
MILLIYET ran with the headline: “‘I am not pessimistic’,” referring to Kilicdaroglu’s remarks over a possible Justice and Development (AK) Party-CHP coalition.
“I think this possibility [an AK Party-CHP coalition] is weak but I am not pessimistic about this. An AK Party-MHP [coalition] possibility may be higher,” Kilicdaroglu said in Ankara, in an interview with the newspaper.
"I do not believe the policy based on hopelessness is true,” he added.
“Responsibility call” was AKSAM’s headline on its front page, referring to Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan’s remarks over forming a government.
"I hope that all political parties and their leaders act with a sense of responsibility to form a government as soon as possible," Erdogan said at an iftar organized at the presidential palace in Ankara.
The president said that he would ask the party that gained the most seats in last June's parliamentary elections to form a government.
The AK Party led by Prime Minister Davutoglu came in first in the general election at 41 percent to claim 258 seats in the Grand National Assembly, 18 short of a simple majority.
The second-placed CHP had 132 deputies elected while the MHP and the HDP both won 80 seats.
Turkish footballer Arda Turan’s transfer to Barcelona was another news item which many newspapers focused on. Turan was signed by Spanish club Barcelona for 34 million euros ($37.1 million) on Monday.
“The Spanish call him ‘Turkish Ronaldinho’” was HABERTURK’s headline.
MILLIYET quoted Spanish sports paper El Mundo Deportivo as saying: “Arda Turan is like a Turkish Ronaldinho with the joy that he delivers. He likes making [others] score goals rather than scoring goals by himself. He changes a game’s rhythm however he wants.”
“The most expensive fourth transfer” was VATAN’s headline. It reported that Arda became the fourth most expensive footballer in the club’s history after Neymar, Luis Suarez and Zlatan Ibrahimovic.
Barcelona's new signing also becomes the most valuable Turkish player in history.
The 28-year-old Turkish international was transferred from Galatasaray to Atletico Madrid in 2011. Turan scored 22 goals and had 32 assists in 177 matches in his four-year spell at Atletico Madrid.
In economic news, DUNYA wrote: “60 private schools opened for refugee children”
It reported that Arab investors have opened dozens of schools in Istanbul, adding that hundreds of Syrian refugee children in the country were drawing overseas investors, who focus on education, to Turkey.
