ANKARA
A leading figure in the Nationalist Movement Party (MHP) became the first opposition lawmaker to join Turkey’s caretaker government Wednesday.
Tugrul Turkes, whose father founded the party, accepted Prime Minister Ahmet Davutoglu’s invitation to join the Cabinet, a source in Davutoglu’s office told Anadolu Agency on condition of anonymity.
His recruitment comes despite MHP Chairman Devlet Bahceli’s refusal to take part in an interim administration in the run-up to November’s general election.
The source said Davutoglu and Turkes spoke by telephone Wednesday.
The MHP party later referred Turkes to the discipline committee to expel him from the party, according to a statement issued by a party official.
"Our party chairman has referred him to central discipline committee to punish him with exact discharge from party membership," said Semih Yalcin, the deputy chairman of the MHP.
Yalcin said Turkes had accepted the deputy prime minister post in the interim government to be formed.
Yalcin said he had warned Turkes to resign from the party.
Other MHP lawmakers have turned down offers to join a Cabinet that will be dominated by Davutoglu’s Justice and Development (AK) Party, including Ahmet Kenan Tanrikulu, who resigned as the party’s deputy chairman in response to Davutoglu’s offer, and Meral Aksener.
Davutoglu offered 11 Cabinet posts to opposition lawmakers from the MHP, the Republican People’s Party (CHP) and Peoples’ Democratic Party (HDP) on Wednesday.
CHP lawmakers Tekin Bingol and Erdogan Toprak told Anadolu Agency they had turned down the offers, refusing the serve the "political ambitions" of others. Their party leadership has also announced it will not take part in the provisional government.
Responses are due by 6 p.m. local time (1500GMT) on Thursday.
