Will Turkey’s deputy and presidential elections be held in May?

Discussions are continuing on when the 2023 elections in Turkey will take place. While the opposition had previously requested early elections, it abandoned this attitude as the election approached the normal time, namely June 2023.

It is said that the government could be planning to have the election as early as possible in order not to lose the effect of the steps (mainly economic) it will take at the beginning of the year, such as the minimum wage hike and the YET to improve purchasing power of voters. Otherwise citizens will start experiencing the negative impact of inflation before long.

Özlem Zengin, Deputy Chairman of the AK Party Group, answered questions forwarded in an interview. She argued that it would not be qualified as an early election if it were held in May.

She added the election would be held after April and the government could likely have it a few weeks before due date.

“The election will be after April. We need to pass the month of April in order to take advantage of the last law we made. There is a one month difference between June and May. If held in May be it should be for very necessary reasons. It’s not called an early election either. The early election is a year, a year and a half, six months. But there is no difference between doing it in May and doing it in June. I’m not going to say anything because there’s nothing clear right now. But it may come forward a few weeks, if at all”