President urges political players to 'put aside their egos' for the sake of the country

While breaking an unusual almost four-day long silence following the June 7 parliamentary election with a public address, President Recep Tayyip Erdo?an cast himself in the role of a wise statesman, as he urged all political players in Turkey to leave aside their egos and prioritize the country?s interests with common sense.

?Everyone should put aside their egos along the constitutional and legal process and a government should be formed in our country as soon as possible,? Erdo?an said on June 11.

?This process should resume from where we stopped with an understanding of ?Perpetuity in the state is essential,?? he said, in a speech delivered at a graduation ceremony for foreign students.

The relatively conciliatory tone of the speech was surprising to many, since his usually harsh rhetoric against opposition parties and aggressive campaigning in favor of the Justice and Development Party (AKP) in the run-up to the June 7 general election was still fresh in many minds. 

?Those who leave Turkey without a government, without a head, and are condemned to their egos will neither be able to give account to history, nor to our people,? he declared.

Erdo?an?s messages came a day after he held a surprise meeting with the former leader of the main opposition Republican People?s Party (CHP), Deniz Baykal. The surprise meeting led to speculation that the president was involved in plans to form a coalition between the AKP and the CHP, the top two parties in the election, after the former lost its parliamentary majority.

Erdo?an recalled he was elected as president in August 2014 during the country?s first-ever presidential election by popular vote, suggesting the form of his election had put a ?much bigger responsibility? on...