AKP

With nearly two months to go to the polls, the political parties have started to receive applications for those who want to run for the 600-seat parliament.

A drone shot of collapsed buildings after an earthquake in Hatay, Turkey, 7 February 2023. Photo: EPA-EFE/ERDEM SAHIN

Sedat Peker. Photo: Sedat Peker's Facebook page.

"If the judiciary cannot fight against crime, corruption and bribery everything will be finished. We are now waiting for an effective and comprehensive investigation [into Peker's claims]," Muharrem Erkek, the vice chair of the Republican People's Party, CHP, said on Monday after his party filed a criminal complaint.

Leader of main opposition Republican People's Party, Kemal Kilicdaroglu (C), candidate of main opposition Republican People's Party for Ankara mayor Mansur Yavas and Republican People's Party candidate for Istanbul mayor Ekrem Imamoglu greet their supporters in Ankara, April 2019. Photo: EPA-EFE/STRINGER.

Turkish Journalists' protest in Istanbul on June 21, 2022. Photo: Ufuk Ceri

Members of the Turkish parliament in session at the Grand National Assembly in Ankara, 2 January 2020. Photo: EPA-EFE/STR

The law was prepared by President Recep Tayyip Erdogan's ruling Justice and Development Party, AKP and its far-right partner, the Nationalist Movement Party, MHP.

"A sweeping attempt to capture the last 20 years of Turkey, Bechev skilfully traces the radical transformation of Turkey's domestic and foreign policies under Erdogan. An outstanding book from one of the best," wrote Gonul Tol, Director of Turkey Programme at the Middle East Institute in Washington.

New Finance Minister Lutfi Elvan (C) speaks to media after a ceremony marking the 82th anniversary of the death of Mustafa Kemal Ataturk at the mausoleum in Ankara, 10 November 2020. Photo: EPA-EFE/STR

Since 2019, Turkish experts, journalists and pollsters have been following closely Turkey's general election scheduled for 2023. Probably because the ruling Justice and Development Party (AKP) suffered a humiliating defeats in its 2019 local elections' mayoral candidates in Turkey's major population censters, including Istanbul.

Bulgarian pop-folk star Azis. Photo: Azis/Facebook.

"Homosexual perverted Azis will take to the stage at a festival organised for local people," said an article published by newspaper Yeni Akit on Sunday.