Early Elections in Turkey

Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan has announced early elections on June 24, a year and a half before the elections, in which he is expected to seek a new mandate with too many powers.

Erdogan stated after the meeting that took place with his ally the leader of the Nationalist Movement Party, Devlet Bahceli «We have decided to organize these elections on Sunday, June 24, 2018».

He added «We have very fruitful talks in regards of the needs for an early elections to serve our national interests».

This development surprised observers, especially that Turkish leaders, including Erdogan, have repeatedly denied in recent weeks «rumors» about early elections.

The dual presidential and legislative elections are of great importance because it will launch the entry into force of most measures that strengthen the powers of the President, which were adopted in a constitutional referendum in April 2017.

Erdogan’s constitutional review allowed him to run for two five-year terms.
Erdogan is in power in Turkey since 2003 as prime minister and then as president.

Erdogan justified the decision to move rapidly to the presidential system in order to confront «the acceleration of developments in Syria» and the need to take «important decisions» quickly on the economy.

The early elections will be held three weeks before the second anniversary of the coup attempt on Erdogan’s government on July 15, 2016, which was followed by a broad operation of the regime to tighten its grip on state institutions through massive expulsions and arrests that have strained relations with the West.

News agencies