AKP has started healing its wounds

A last-day move of Nationalist Movement Party (MHP) leader Devlet Bahçeli put an end to the last hopes for joint action by opposition parties, leading to ?smet Y?lmaz, the incumbent defense minister of the outgoing Justice and Development Party (AK Parti) government, winning the Speaker of Parliament election on July 1.

Deniz Baykal, the former chairman of the social democratic Republican People?s Party (CHP) failed to get close to Y?lmaz, despite receiving some support from the Kurdish problem-focused Peoples? Democratic Party (HDP).

The result was the first test for Prime Minister Ahmet Davuto?lu after losing the majority in parliament to establish a single-party government in the June 7 election.

In a way, the AK Parti has started to heal its election wounds with this result, boosting its morale before the start of formal coalition talks next week.

Strong arguments between the parties throughout the speaker election process eliminated many scenarios for possible coalition combinations, including a CHP-led one with the MHP and outside support from the HDP.

It is now clear that just two coalition options are acknowledged by all parties: The AK Parti leading a government with either the CHP or the MHP. If this cannot happen, the only remaining option would be to repeat the election, probably in November.

But after his first win since the June 7 election, Prime Minister Davuto?lu wants now to focus on forming a coalition government in order to keep up the momentum. If he succeeds in forming a coalition, he would be able to go to the AK Parti congress in late August with confidence.

AK Parti spokespeople say their grassroots prefer a coalition with the MHP. But Bahçeli?s prime condition of ending the...