2024-03-11 07:55:01
Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan will be able to once again compete for the post of head of state if parliament decides to hold early elections. This opinion was expressed by former Turkish Minister of Justice Bekir Bozdag in connection with Erdogan’s earlier statement that the upcoming municipal elections would be his final, Day.Az reports with reference to TASS.
“These elections, as our president said, are his last elections. Because, according to the constitution, the presidential term is five years, and a person can be elected president a maximum of twice. However, according to the constitution, if parliament decides to hold early elections, then Erdogan will have the right to become a candidate for the third time,” Bozdag wrote on X (formerly Twitter). However, according to him, it is impossible to predict what will happen next and what decisions may be made.
Meanwhile, some Turkish media, in connection with Erdogan’s words, recalled that since 2009 he has periodically made similar statements. Before the presidential elections in 2023, he also stated that he was asking for support for the last time. After this, Erdogan spoke of his intention to “hand over the banner to the youth.”
The president’s current statements came against the backdrop of an intensified debate in Turkey about changing the constitution. Speaker of Parliament Numan Kurtulmus previously said that after the elections on March 31, the legislative body plans to develop a new basic law and wants to bring this work to completion. If the new constitution is approved in a referendum, according to a number of Turkish politicians and lawyers, the rules on two presidential terms will actually be nullified, and Erdogan will have the opportunity to once again compete for the post of head of state.
On Friday, Erdogan, speaking at an event, said that the municipal elections on March 31 would be his final within the powers granted by law. After this, he said, the country will transfer affairs to those who come after him. In May 2023, Erdogan won the elections and received the right to lead the republic for another five years.