Will 50+1 cause a crisis? 'Small party' discomfort in the AKP

President and AKP Chairman Recep Tayyip Erdoğan had stated that the 50+1 requirement in presidential elections should be changed. MHP leader Bahçeli, however, requested the continuation of the system.

Gazete Pencere columnist Nuray Babacan wrote about how the 50+1 issue resonated within the AKP. 

IT WAS A MISTAKE TO INCREASE THE INFLUENCE OF SMALL PARTIES

Babacan stated that AKP members were not surprised. According to what Babacan reported, self-criticisms regarding the system change included the comment: "It was a mistake to bring parties like HÜDA PAR and Yeniden Refah into the Grand National Assembly of Turkey (TBMM) and increase their sphere of influence." 

"WE ARE FORCED TO TAKE THESE PARTIES INTO ACCOUNT"

According to Babacan, the comments made included: "Bahçeli's approach was expected. Anything else would have been a surprise. The MHP will not abandon a structure where it is needed at any moment. It is satisfied with the position it has acquired within the system without having any responsibility. It was clear that it would not want this mechanism to change."

Furthermore, the comment was made: "There were friends who voiced at the time that this system would create problems in a short time, but it did not find resonance within the party. We had said that large parties would be beholden to small parties. It was a mistake to bring parties like HÜDA PAR and Yeniden Refah into the TBMM and increase their sphere of influence. We are forced to take these parties into account in local elections, especially in provincial cities." 

News Source: 12punto