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)
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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)
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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)
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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)
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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.