Message from leader of Turkey’s main opposition party: “Be ready for a possible election at any time”

It has been reported that Özgür Özel, the leader of the Republican People’s Party (CHP), instructed the party’s organization to “be ready for an election at any moment” during a meeting with provincial chairpersons.

This directive aligns with Özel’s frequent assertion, “If there’s no livelihood, there will be elections,” bringing the possibility of an early election into the spotlight. CHP had emerged as the leading party in the March 31 local elections, and Özel has also emphasized that polls show the CHP ahead.

According to a report from Milliyet newspaper, provincial chairpersons were informed that a “more active period” would begin after September and were asked to prepare for it. Following this instruction, party organizations have hit the ground running, working as if an election could be called “tomorrow.” Provincial chairpersons are visiting districts and neighborhoods, stating that they are prepared for an election at any time.

Leading figures within the CHP anticipate that elections will occur before 2028, with expectations of a possible election in the fall of 2025 or by the spring of 2026 at the latest.