Turkey's ruling party Justice and Development Party (AKP) lost its absolute majority in parliament Sunday, in a stunning electoral defeat for President Recep Tayyip Erdogan's bid to rewrite the country's constitution to create a presidential democracy that would expand his powers. For the first time, the pro-Kurdish People's Democratic Party (HDP) cleared the 10 percent vote count threshold it needed to join parliament.
Turkey's Ruling Party Loses Parliamentary Majority
![Co-leader of the pro-Kurdish People's Democratic Party (HDP) gives a speech in Istanbul after a successful election in Turkey, June 8, 2015. (Salih Turan/VOA Kurdish)](https://gdb.voanews.com/fdc28982-df0d-4b89-bc2f-2bc7ea6335f7_w1024_q10_s.jpg)
1
Co-leader of the pro-Kurdish People's Democratic Party (HDP) gives a speech in Istanbul after a successful election in Turkey, June 8, 2015. (Salih Turan/VOA Kurdish)
![HDP rally in Istanbul, June 8, 2015 (Salih Turan/VOA Kurdish)](https://gdb.voanews.com/c7c390ee-9722-4bc9-bcd0-a2f5186049c9_w1024_q10_s.jpg)
2
HDP rally in Istanbul, June 8, 2015 (Salih Turan/VOA Kurdish)
![Turkish President Tayyip Erdogan (C) looks on after arriving at Esenboga Airport in Ankara, June 8, 2015.](https://gdb.voanews.com/39dae9dd-7913-42cf-8035-8dff5e9eb9f7_w1024_q10_s.jpg)
3
Turkish President Tayyip Erdogan (C) looks on after arriving at Esenboga Airport in Ankara, June 8, 2015.
![A supporter of the pro-Kurdish Peoples' Democratic Party (HDP) is helped to climb a pole with a flag of imprisoned Kurdish rebel leader Abdullah Ocalan, during a rally in Istanbul, Turkey, June 8, 2015, a day after the elections.](https://gdb.voanews.com/bc314ebf-6a05-405e-b9cf-d8a591693e8d_w1024_q10_s.jpg)
4
A supporter of the pro-Kurdish Peoples' Democratic Party (HDP) is helped to climb a pole with a flag of imprisoned Kurdish rebel leader Abdullah Ocalan, during a rally in Istanbul, Turkey, June 8, 2015, a day after the elections.