Turkish President and leader of the Justice and Development Party (AKP) Recep Tayyip Erdogan speaks during a group meeting at the Turkish Grand National Assembly in Ankara on Jan 18, 2023. (ADEM ALTAN / AFP)
ANKARA – Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan hinted on Wednesday that the next general and presidential elections could be held on May 14, nearly one month earlier than the scheduled date.
Addressing his party members at the parliament, Erdogan cited the polls on May 14, 1950, when the Democrat Party beat the Republican People's Party, which had been in power for 27 years.
"Our people will answer (the opposition) on the same day 73 years later," the Turkish president said.
If no presidential candidate can get 50 percent plus one vote on May 14, then a second round of elections will be held on May 28 for the two contenders of the first polls
Türkiye's next election was officially slated for June 18, but officials of the ruling Justice and Development Party (AKP) recently stated that they wanted to pull the polls forward because of possible citizen movement due to religious holidays and school examinations in June.
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The AKP and its ally Nationalist Movement Party (MHP) already declared Erdogan as the joint candidate for another five-year term of presidency. But the total number of lawmakers of the AKP and MHP is not enough to call for early elections. Erdogan will likely use its presidential authority to dissolve the parliament in the first 10 days of March and renew the elections.
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If no presidential candidate can get 50 percent plus one vote on May 14, then a second round of elections will be held on May 28 for the two contenders of the first polls.