Bahçeli reaffirms support for Erdoğan, timely elections

Devlet Bahçeli, leader of government ally Nationalist Movement Party (MHP), told reporters on Tuesday that they will continue supporting President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan and emphasized the importance of the timetable for upcoming presidential elections.

He was answering questions about the possibility of rescheduling the elections in 2028 and calls by the opposition for an early election. President’s chief adviser Mehmet Uçum penned an article on June 15 in which he underlined that the early election should be ruled out, though he noted that under existing regulations and laws, the vote may be rescheduled to April 16 at best, from the planned date of May 7, 2028. Bahçeli said Uçum’s suggestion does not mean that the election would be held early. “As a matter of fact, this is a timely election too. What matters is holding the election in time (regardless of slight variations in the timetable). We see several figures calculating how to compete in elections and when, they try to impose (an early) election on the public. This is not right,” he said. “Our president continues his duty, and we support him,” Bahçeli added, referring to a debate by the opposition on the eligibility of Erdoğan to run again in the 2028 elections.

In his article published by Anadolu Agency (AA), Uçum, also acting chair of the presidency’s legal policies, pointed out that Erdoğan does not need a constitutional amendment for running in the next election and he can invoke “exceptional candidacy” for nomination. “Exceptional candidacy” in the constitution allows the parliament to reschedule the election to an earlier date. He said the approval of at least 360 lawmakers at the parliament are needed to “renew the election” and this will be the last tenure Erdoğan will be eligible. He noted that the election renewable can be discussed in the period between the last quarter of 2027 and first quarter of 2028. He said most appropriate date for a rescheduled election before the scheduled May 7 would be April 16, 2028. “Barring the possibility of implementation of a legal amendment one year prior to general elections, the current election law indicates that first Sunday within the sixty days of implementation of a decision of election renewal will be the election day,” he highlighted. As for the meaning of April 16, Uçum noted that it was a symbolic date, marking the 11th anniversary of a referendum where the public approved the executive presidency system.