Diker said DYP supported the view that President Suleyman Demirel should assign Erbakan to form the new government as the leader of the strongest party, but that once he had failed, the task should be given to Ciller, heading the party with the second largest number of seats. A chief problem is ANAP's militancy against the terms of the recently clinched customs union accord between Turkey and the European Union, reservations shared by Ecevit. The three parties also have conflicting positions regarding the ties with Iraq and the Western air force based in Turkey to protect the Iraqi Kurds. Finally, the looming economic difficulties predicted for the coming months are reportedly causing the social democrats second thoughts about an unquestioning support for the right-wing bloc. We don't intend to speculate on the outcome.
Turkey is a good friend and ally of the United States.
We look forward to working with the new government. We also congratulate those who won office through these elections. We wish them success in the exercise of trust placed in them. In terms of what government may emerge, that is up to the people of Turkey to decide that through constitutional processes. We'll see who will be their next government.