Türkiye sets date for elections next May

The elections come just over three months after a devastating earthquake in Türkiye killed more than 45,000 people. Türkiye is currently rebuilding after a devastating earthquake struck a large swath of the country's south in early February 2023.

“The time has come,” the Turkish leader told lawmakers in parliament . “Our country will take all necessary measures to move towards the general election on May 14.”

Last year, Mr. Erdogan repeatedly affirmed that the general election would be held on June 18. However, in early January 2023, the Turkish leader left open the option of holding the election a month earlier.

Erdogan recently reiterated his plan to hold the general election on May 14 to avoid seasonal voter migration and university entrance exams in early summer. The election date of May 14 was agreed by President Tayyip Erdogan's ruling Justice and Development Party before the devastating earthquake last month.

Mr. Erdogan has been Prime Minister since 2003 and became the first democratically elected President of Turkey after winning 52% of the vote in the election on August 10, 2014. Mr. Erdogan is currently said to be seeking a third term as President.

The upcoming presidential and parliamentary elections will be the biggest test for Mr Erdogan in 20 years. The elections in Türkiye come at a difficult time for Mr Erdogan, with his popularity plummeting amid soaring inflation.

The Turkish leader also acknowledged shortcomings in the initial response to the earthquake, due to adverse weather and damaged infrastructure. In his speech on March 1, Erdogan reiterated his commitment to build more than 400,000 houses by 2023 to support earthquake victims.

“We will clear the rubble and heal the wounds. We will repair what has been destroyed and bring a better life to our people,” Mr. Erdogan said.

The devastating earthquake on February 6, followed by a series of powerful aftershocks, struck Türkiye and Syria, killing an estimated 50,000 people - mostly in Türkiye.

Nearly 204,000 buildings collapsed or were severely damaged in Türkiye, leaving hundreds of thousands homeless. Local officials said the earthquake affected 14 million people, while millions more were displaced or evacuated from the quake-hit areas.

According to the World Bank (WB), the earthquake disaster caused an estimated direct material damage of about 34.2 billion USD — equivalent to 4% of Turkey's GDP in 2021./.

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