Erdogan Plans Re-Election Bid in Early 2028 Vote

Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan plans to seek another term in an early election in 2028, allowing him to avoid the constitutional term limit he would face if he served out his full current term, his chief adviser Mehmet Ucum said on Thursday.

Under Turkey’s constitution, parliament can call an early election with the support of 360 of its 600 lawmakers, which would allow Erdogan to run again. According to Ucum, the vote would be held on 16 April 2028 if parliament approved the move.

Erdogan’s ruling AKP and its nationalist MHP ally currently hold 326 seats, leaving them 34 votes short of the required majority and dependent on support from other lawmakers.

The 72-year-old Erdogan has led Turkey since 2003, first as prime minister and since 2014 as president. After his re-election in 2023, he described his current term as his last and later stated that he had no intention of running for president again.

(max)