UPDATE-Turkey: MHP no longer seeks alliance for local polls

UPDATES WITH BAHCELI'S REMARKS

By Muhammet Emin Avundukluoglu

ANKARA (AA) - Turkey's opposition Nationalist Movement Party (MHP) leader said on Tuesday that their party no longer seeks any alliance in the upcoming local elections in March 2019.

"We no longer expect, seek or plan any alliance in the local elections on March 31, 2019," Devlet Bahceli told his party's parliamentary group.

We will take part in every electoral district of Turkey with our own candidates, he said.

Local elections are set to be held on March 31, 2019 across Turkey.

The People's Alliance between Justice and Development (AK) Party and the MHP was formed this February ahead of the June presidential and parliamentary elections, and continued in some forms between the two parties.

Bahceli also said that the criminals of journalist Jamal Khashoggi murder should be tried in Turkey.

"The scene of the crime is in Turkey, so scene of judgement will also be in Turkey," said Bahceli.

"It is compulsory that the plans of the murderers and instigators on Turkey be clarified, as well as their regional and global networks," he added.

Khashoggi, a columnist for The Washington Post, had gone missing since entering the Saudi Consulate in Istanbul on Oct. 2.

After denying knowledge of Khashoggi's whereabouts for two weeks, Saudi Arabia on Saturday said he was killed during a fight inside its Istanbul consulate.

His body has not been recovered, nor has Saudi Arabia explained its shifting narrative on what transpired.

On the day of Khashoggi’s disappearance, 15 other Saudis, including several officials, arrived in Istanbul on two planes and visited the consulate while he was still inside, according to Turkish police sources. All of the identified individuals have since left Turkey.

A joint Turkish-Saudi team completed an investigation into the case on Thursday after searching the residence of the consul general as well as the Saudi Consulate in Istanbul.