Turkey’s president hints May 14 for elections

Ankara: Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan has hinted 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 on Wednesday, Erdogan cited the polls on May 14, 1950 when Democrat Party beat 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.

Turkey’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, Xinhua news agency reported.

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.

If no presidential candidate can get 50 per cent 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.