Erdoğan says municipal election is his last election ‘as authorized by law’

Turkey’s President Erdoğan has stated that the local elections to be held on March 31 are his final election “as authorized by law.” In May, Erdoğan controversially ran for the presidency for the third time with the approval of the Supreme Election Council (YSK).

Friday March 08 2024 10:08 pm

Duvar English

Turkey’s President, and Justice and Development Party (AKP) leader Recep Tayyip Erdoğan on March 8 stated that the upcoming local elections will be his last election.

Speaking during a youth meeting of Turkey Youth Foundation (TÜGVA) in Istanbul, Erdoğan said he was continuing to work relentlessly and almost without taking a breath “because for me this is the final (election).”

“This election is my last election as authorized by law. The (election) outcome will be a transfer of trust for my brothers who will come after me,” Erdoğan said.

“Therefore, we need to make our preparations accordingly and take the necessary steps accordingly, so that we can give the necessary answer to those who look at things very differently on the evening of March 31st. As of April 1, let's start a new era, God willing,” he added.

Erdoğan also demanded a power transfer in Istanbul, Ankara, and İzmir municipalities, which are currently run by the main opposition Republican People’s Party (CHP).

Similarly in 2022, Erdoğan said he would run for the presidency in the 2023 elections for the last time, and then will “pave the way to the youth.”

Erdoğan's third term

In May, Erdoğan controversially ran for the presidency for the third time with the approval of the Supreme Election Council (YSK).

Although the Constitution says a person can be elected president at most two times, the AKP argued that there was no legal obstacle to Erdoğan’s candidacy because the presidency has assumed a different role with the 2017 constitutional reform and elections before that should not be taken into account for the debate in question.

The main argument of those who defend this view is that everything has been “reset” with the new system initiated after the 2017 referendum consolidating the presidential system.

The Constitution’s 101st article reads as follows: “The President of the Republic’s term of office shall be five years. A person may be elected as the President of the Republic for two terms at most.”

A President can run for the third term only when the Parliament decides to call for early elections.