Turkey's ruling party will advance presidential elections: Opposition
2 Min Read
The upcoming elections are considered to be one of the most significant milestones in Turkey's modern history.
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Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan tours the site of destroyed buildings during his visit to the city of Kahramanmaras in southeast Turkey two days after the severe earthquake that hit the region, Feb. 8, 2023. (AFP)
The leader of a Turkish opposition party Meral Aksener stated that she had proof that President Recep Tayyip Erdogan would announce on March 10 his intention to move the presidential election to May 14.
"We are receiving information that Mr. Erdogan will call the elections for May 14. The decision will be made on March 10," Yeni Akit daily newspaper quoted Aksener as saying.
Last month, Erdogan declared that he was considering pushing the elections' date back from June 18 to May 14.
In a related development, Turkish media reported that the elections could be postponed for six to twelve months to allow the country to rebuild following the deadly earthquake.
The elections are supposed to be a litmus test for Erdogan's job performance. It will be the second election since Turkey switched from a parliamentary to a presidential system following a 2017 referendum that granted him broad new powers.
Meanwhile, Turkey's opposition alliance has constantly asserted that they will limit the authority of Erdogan and return democracy to the parliamentary institution in case they win the upcoming elections.
It is worth noting Erdogan has been sitting in the country's top positions since 2003.
Starting as a prime minister, Turkey's leader was elected president in 2014 and has since introduced many laws that expand the position's authority and jurisdiction, most notably in 2017 when he issued constitutional changes that granted him full power in the country.
Erdogan broadened his authority following a failed coup attempt in 2016 that almost placed the country's future in uncertainty.
Read more: Turkish Opposition alliance: presidential system root for all problems
