Turkey’s President Recep Tayyip Erdogan has announced his intention to seek popular endorsement ahead of a final five-year presidential term in the 2023 general election before retiring from political life.
Without being an official announcement, the Turkish president confirmed this past Saturday in a speech in the city of Samsun that «God willing, in 2023, and with the power of your support on my behalf for the last time, the construction of the Turkish Century will begin».
Erdogan ruled Turkey as prime minister between 2003 and 2014 and, since then, as the nation’s president. A constitutional amendment in 2017 changed the system to an executive presidency model and Erdogan was elected president in 2018.
After what would be his last term, Erdogan has predicted a generational change. «We will hand over this blessed flag to our youth,» he has said at the rally, where he highlighted the progress, in his view, achieved during his tenure.
«Those who have wisdom and knowledge can see the difference between the Turkey we have inherited from the older generations and the Turkey we will hand over to our youth,» he added during the speech, picked up by Hurriyet.
According to what, according to the government, is the correct interpretation of the current system, Erdogan can run twice for the presidency, although there are some doubts about this.
Although Erdogan’s allies claim that there is no legal obstacle for Erdogan to run again, given the constitutional reform, the opposition points out that Article 101 of the Turkish Magna Carta imposes a two-term limit to the Presidency in any case.
A change in the Constitution on this issue needs the votes of a two-thirds majority in Parliament (400 legislators) which the ruling alliance does not have.
However, Erdogan could be a candidate if the Parliament decides to hold early elections with the approval of 360 deputies, out of a total of 600. The total number of seats in the People’s Alliance, which consists of the ruling Justice and Development, and the ultra-nationalist Nationalist Movement Party (MHP) and the Grand Unity Party (BBP), is 335, according to the Duvar portal.
