Postponing general elections in Turkey to an earlier date does not mean that they will be early, Omer Celik, a spokesman for the ruling Justice and Development Party, said.
The next general elections in the country – both presidential and parliamentary – are planned in Turkey on June 18, 2023. Earlier, President Tayyip Erdogan allowed the postponement of elections to an earlier date, “taking into account seasonal conditions.”
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“We said, ‘We can reschedule a little,’ but this does not mean early elections. We are currently working on the dates, and we will announce them to the public when we specify them,” Celik said.
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The ruling Justice and Development Party (AKP) and the Nationalist Movement Party (MHP) had previously formed the People’s Alliance. Turkish nationalist leader Bahceli said that President Erdogan will be the People’s Alliance’s candidate in the upcoming elections. The opposition has not yet announced a candidate.
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At the same time, periodic meetings are held between the leaders of the six opposition parties, which are attended by the head of the Good Party (Iyi parti) Meral Akshener, the chairman of the right-wing conservative Sunni Happiness Party (SP) Temel Karamollaoglu, the head of the Kemalist-conservative Democratic Party Gultekin Uysal, leader of the liberal Democracy and Breakthrough Party (DEVA) Ali Babacan and ex-Prime Minister of Turkey, head of the Future party Ahmet Davutoglu.
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After the first meeting, the six leaders of Turkey’s opposition parties made a statement about the preparation of a memorandum on the country’s transition to a “strengthened parliamentary system of government.”
