Turkish politicians celebrate 2023 as Turkey enters election year

Duvar English

2023 has an historic importance for Turkey as the country will celebrate its 100th anniversary of the foundation of the Republic. This milestone also makes the upcoming elections more important as the ruling Justice and Development Party (AKP) will try to extend their 21-year rule while the opposition bloc aims to bring the parliamentary system back.

As Turkey celebrates 2023, politicians on Dec. 31 shared new year messages with an emphasis on the upcoming presidential and general elections that are scheduled to be held in June 2023.

Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan shared a video message and said "We did not leave our nation alone in the face of increasing cost of living in 2022."

"But everyone with a conscience will agree that this country also reached the highest employment rate, the highest production power and the highest export figure in its history in this period" Erdoğan added.

"Hopefully, in 2023, with our vision of the Century of Turkey, we will start a much bigger breakthrough befitting the new century of our Republic," Erdoğan further said.

Main opposition Republican People's Party (CHP) leader Kemal Kılıçdaroğlu said "The year you've been waiting for has finally arrived. Loading, Loading, Loading..."

"2023 will be another year. We will assume the power, from the moment we assume it, we will fix hundreds, thousands of problems," Kılıçdaroğlu said in a video message.

Jailed former Peoples' Democratic Party (HDP) co-chair Selahattin Demirtaş said in Turkish, Kurdish and Zazaki languages that "Happy new year, let it be the year of freedom."