Turkish PM Erdoğan set to run for presidency: Deputy PM Arınç

Turkish Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdoğan will almost certainly be announced next week as the ruling party's candidate for August's presidential election, deputy prime minister Bülent Arınç said on June 25.
        
"We pretty much know who our presidential candidate will be ... Barring any obstacles, on July 1, the nomination of our prime minister will most likely be announced," Arınç told Turkish media, in comments confirmed by his office.

Arınç said Erdoğan had not faced any opposition during consultations on his potential candidacy.
    
"Every group he has held talks with has expressed a favourable view on his nomination. What remains is his own judgment," he said.
    
Speculation over who will succeed him as prime minister has mounted, with Foreign Minister Ahmet Davutoğlu seen as a possible contender, but Arınç said it was too soon to discuss the issue.
    
"We will be announcing our candidate on July 1 and who will become the prime minister, even temporarily, after that day are private matters not to be discussed now," he said.
    
Last week, Republican People's Party (CHP) and the Nationalist Movement Party (MHP) said they had agreed to nominate Ekmeleddin İhsanoğlu, who stepped down in December as head of the Organisation of Islamic Cooperation (OIC), as their joint candidate for the presidential race.