Surprising candidacy comment from the ruling front: The only way for Erdoğan to be re-elected...

AKP Deputy Chairman and Head of Election Affairs Ali İhsan Yavuz, in statements made on the Portre TV channel, emphasized that for President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan to be able to run for office again, the Grand National Assembly of Turkey (TBMM) must take a decision to renew the elections. 

Yavuz stated, "The possibility of our President obtaining one more term depends solely on the Grand National Assembly of Turkey taking a decision to renew the elections with 360 deputies."

"THERE IS NO EARLY ELECTION, ELECTIONS WILL BE HELD ON TIME"

Ali İhsan Yavuz stated that "there is no early election" and that the elections will be held in 2028. Yavuz expressed that as the AKP, they are always ready for elections and work as if there is an election in every period.

Stating, "God willing, the elections will be held on time, that is, in 2028," Yavuz explained that their party's election preparations are ongoing and that they do not use the term "early election," preferring the term "election renewal" instead.

CLUES REGARDING THE ELECTION DATE

Yavuz said that the President's candidacy would be possible once a decision to renew the elections is taken, and noted that the Supreme Election Council (YSK) is the deciding body for finalizing the election date. Yavuz said that with the decision to renew the elections, it could be possible to hold elections on dates such as May 7 or April 30.

"But even if they take this decision a week earlier, let's say it falls on a Sunday, even if they take it to the Sunday before that, this objective will be realized," said Yavuz, expressing that the calendar regarding the date of the elections will be determined by the YSK.

"ELECTION RENEWAL IS NOT AN EARLY ELECTION"

Ali İhsan Yavuz stated that the situation of holding elections before their scheduled time would not be called an "early election," and that the term election renewal would be used instead. He said, "The YSK will determine this entirely. This is not called an early election. The term election renewal is used, but the issue is understood. We have no obligation to move this forward by 6 months or 1 year."