Turkey’s President Recep Tayyip Erdogan has indicated that the country’s national elections will take place on May 14, sticking to his previous plan despite devastating earthquakes that occurred last month, claiming the lives of over 45,000 people.
In a speech to parliamentarians from his AK Party, Erdogan affirmed that the nation would proceed with the elections on May 14. There had been conflicting signals regarding the timing of the presidential and parliamentary elections following the earthquakes, with suggestions of possible postponement until later in the year or holding them as scheduled on June 18.
Prior to the disaster, Erdogan’s popularity had been declining due to rising living costs and a slump in the Turkish lira. The government faced criticism for its response to the deadliest earthquake in Turkey’s modern history. While Erdogan acknowledged some shortcomings in the earthquake response, he defended it and accused “negative campaigns” of being driven by political interests.
Erdogan, who aims to extend his rule into a third decade, had previously brought forward the election date to May to avoid overlapping with June holidays. These elections are expected to present his biggest electoral challenge yet, according to polls. Concerns were raised about the logistical arrangements for voting in the earthquake-affected areas, which are home to approximately 14 million people.
Following the earthquake, a three-month state of emergency was declared in the affected Turkish provinces on February 7, one day after the disaster struck.
