(MENAFN- Saudi Press Agency) Turkey's Justice and Development Party
(AKP) is facing the challenge Monday of forming a new government,after failing to secure an outright majority in parliamentary elections for the first time in its history, dpa reported.
The AKP has ruled the country alone since 2002, and Sunday's elections are seen as a blow to the efforts of its founder, President Recep Tayyip Erdogan, to change the presidential system to give more powers to his office.
With nearly all the votes counted, the AKP had just over 40 per cent of the vote, giving it 258 seats in the 550-member parliament.
The party had hoped to get 330 seats and be able to put forward a referendum on changing the system of government.
The pro-Kurdish People's Democracy Party received 13 per cent of the vote, giving it 79 seats at its debut in the Turkish parliament.
The centre-left Republican People's Party had just over 25 per cent
while the far-right Nationalist Movement Party received 16.4 percent.
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