Turkish Parliament opens, eyes turn to new cabinet

The 26th legislative term of Turkey's parliament opened on Nov. 17 with newly elected MPs taking their oaths and with President Recep Tayyip Erdo?an in attendance. Eyes have now turned to the names set to be included in the Justice and Development Party (AKP) government's new cabinet.

Erdo?an gave Prime Minister Ahmet Davuto?lu the mandate to form a new government hours after the PM took his oath. 

As the oldest member of parliament, Deniz Baykal, the former leader of the main opposition Republican People's Party (CHP), made the opening speech as temporary parliament speaker until parliament elects its new speaker.

In his speech, Baykal delivered stern warnings to the ruling party, underlining the necessity for reconciliation between the AKP and opposition parties and saying the fact that the AKP won a single-party majority only increased this necessity. 

Baykal said the breakdown of dialogue between the AKP and the opposition leads directly to the suppression of the judiciary and the media. 

In an indirect reference to the movement of U.S.-based Islamic scholar Fethullah Gülen, an ally-turned-foe of the government, Baykal said the AKP should now realize "the drawbacks of turning the state over to a religious community" but must now also beware oppressing certain religious communities. 

Baykal refused a request by CHP deputy Sezgin Tanr?kulu to stand in silence in memory of the victims of the recent terrorist attacks in Suruç, Ankara and Paris, stating that parliament should first take its oath.  Bennur Karaburun, the first deputy to take their oath, recited "Bismillah" (in the name of God) while pledging. HDP Co-Chair Selahattin Demirta?, meanwhile, was not able to attend the session as he is recovering from...