Erdogan dismisses blame for coalition talks failure

Turkey's President Recep Tayyip Erdogan has said it is unfortunate that coalition talks failed to form a new government and dismissed suggestions holding him responsible for the failure.

Addressing locally-elected heads of Turkish villages and neighborhoods at the Presidential Palace in the capital Ankara Wednesday, Erdogan said: "Unfortunately, Turkey could not meet a new governmentbecause no results were obtained in the [coalition] talks".

Despite best efforts, Prime Minister and Justice and Development (AK) Party leader Ahmet Davutoglu was unable to form a coalition government with political parties in the parliament and returned the mandate to form agovernment to Erdogan on Tuesday.

The president dismissed all suggestions that he was somehow responsible for the failure in coalitiontalks.

"Those who try to put the blame of their own disability, failure and disappointments at me and my office, then they strive in vain," Erdogan said.

(AA)