Turkish presidential election

The countdown for the parliamentary and presidential election slated for June 2023 has started as there is only one year to go, President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan has said, repeating his calls to the main opposition leader to either announce his candidacy or his candidate for the presidency.

President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan confirmed on June 9 that he plans to stand for reelection next year.

Erdoğan, 68, made the announcement during a speech in the Aegean coastal city of Izmir, where he challenged the main opposition party's leader, Kemal Kılıçdaroğlu, to announce the candidate who would challenge him on behalf of an alliance of opposition parties.

President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan, on June 5, stressed that he would continue to pursue "honorable" policies and stand against the oppressors and stand with the oppressed regardless of the cost.

A decision given by the Democracy and Progress Party (DEVA) to run alone in the next parliamentary elections will not affect the composition and principles of the six-party Nation Alliance, opposition officials have said.

The leaders of six opposition parties met for the third time on April 24 at an iftar dinner to discuss the opposition alliance's strategies for the next elections and express the criteria of their presidential candidate.

The statement by Saadet (Felicity) Party leader Temel Karamollaoğlu that there may be a third alliance on the side of opposition parties after a new election law has sparked a debate over cooperation among six opposition parties that united to reinstate a parliamentary system in Turkey.

President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan on April 14 spoke by phone with Chancellor Karl Nehammer of Austria.

The call addressed Turkey-Austria relations and regional matters, the Russia-Ukraine war in particular.

The economic model proposed by the government has collapsed and started to increase the burden on people, the İYİ (Good) Party leader has said, criticizing the ruling Justice and Development Party (AKP) for failing to tackle the price hikes, especially on food.

Opposition İYİ (Good) Party Leader Meral Akşener on Feb. 23 criticized Russia's violation of Ukraine's territorial integrity and urged the Turkish government to use deterrent diplomacy on the crisis.

The leaders of six Turkish opposition parties held their first meeting on Feb. 12 to discuss the results of an ongoing joint work to introduce a "strengthened parliamentary system" if they come to power in the next elections.