The turnout was 86.64 percent. “Checks and balances had been weakened over time by the concentration and tenure of power”.

Erdogan badly miscalculated the mood of the Turkish politic. The Turkish currency as well as shares fell sharply last Monday. “Regardless of the final composition of the new government, the outcome is a major negative for the short- and medium-term economic reform outlook”, said Teneo Intelligence, a London-based consultancy. By nominating people from different ethnicities, classes, lifestyles, religions and sects, such as Turkish, Arab, Alewite, Syriac, Yezidian, Atheist, gay-lesbian, etc., the HDP showed that it wants to be accepted as a Turkish party and not simply a “pro-Kurd party” as it has been; by winning 13 per cent of the votes from every region in the country, one can claim that its intention has been approved by a decent-sized section of Turkey society. Pollsters reckon it siphoned off a chunk of the AK vote in the Kurdish-dominated south-east and in Istanbul.

Demirtas also said that the jailed leader of the Kurdistan Workers’ Party (PKK), Abdullah Ocalan, was ready to make a call for disarmament and that a peace process with his group should accelerate. And with 80 seats, it will be represented in the parliament for the first time.

The HDP’s co-chairman, Selahattin Demirtas, played a pivotal role.

“Nobody, no matter which politician, has the right to say ‘I’”. Opposition leaders have said they would not consider a partnership without conditions that would restrain Erdogan’s power.

Turkey may be fated to experience a relatively long period of political uncertainty and instability before a new equilibrium is found. A coalition government comprising the AKP and the MHP can’t be ruled out, but such an alliance would detract from the inclusive agenda that won the AKP much of its support during the past decade. He has been a good loser so far, saying that the will of the people must be respected. Women will fill 96 of Parliament’s 550 seats, up from 79.

Erdoğan also called on all political parties to think calmly and urged them to carry out their responsibilities, while vowing to shoulder his own. Some critics view it as a turning point for the president and for Turkey. “That is certainly a risk factor going forward for the AK Party“.

The Republican People’s Party or CHP is the main opposition in the Grand National Assembly. But the MHP’s leader, Devlet Bahceli, has ruled out backing an executive presidency.

But corruption, police killings and narcotrafficking continues, and Mexican voters have responded with votes for various alternatives.

In case a coalition government is impossible to form, then either the AKParty or the CHP could try to form minority governments. But what would be in it for the MHP?

Erdogan waves to supporters, June 7.

The reluctance demonstrated by the other parties to form a coalition with the AKParty can also be taken as posturing with the aim of increasing bargaining power during the coalition talks and building a firewall against the criticisms that could come from opposition circles for cooperating with the AKParty. The yellow-red-green flag which is associated with Kurdish identity has the potential to create “others” out of the HDP’s non-Kurdish voters; indeed, you could add to this those Kurds who stand apart from Kurdish nationalism.

The big loser was Erdogan who saw his great expectations and grandiose ambitions dashed during a few hours of voting. However, early elections would not change the political landscape in any significant way and Turkey would be back to square one, after a waste of precious time and resources.

“It is Mr Ocalan who will appeal for disarmament”.

As in Turkey, the resulting politics could be messy. If nothing else, “Kurdish cities” is a misleading description.