Turkish President Erdogan's Aide Signals Early Elections in April 2028
A senior adviser to Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan announced that early presidential elections could be held on April 16, 2028, potentially opening the path for Erdogan to run for a final term.
Erdogan Aide Signals Early Presidential Vote in 2028
Mehmet Uçum, a senior adviser to Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan, announced that Erdogan plans to run for president again in early elections slated for April 2028. According to local media, Uçum stated that if 360 members of parliament support the motion, the elections could take place on April 16, 2028.
Uçum initially proposed this specific date in June, noting its symbolic significance as the anniversary of the constitutional referendum that transitioned Turkey to a presidential system. In August, he added that a parliamentary decision to advance the vote would pave the way for Erdogan's third and final candidacy.
"If 360 members of parliament support the decision on new elections, they will be held on April 16, 2028," Mehmet Uçum said.
Constitutional Hurdles and Parliamentary Math
Under Turkish law, elections are officially scheduled for May 2028, making this a shift of just three weeks. While the constitution limits a president to two terms, it allows parliament to call early elections with the support of 360 out of 600 lawmakers, thereby clearing the path for an additional term.
The ruling Islamic-conservative Justice and Development Party (AKP) and its nationalist ally, the Nationalist Movement Party (MHP), currently hold a combined 326 seats, falling short of the required threshold. The government has repeatedly insisted that elections will be held on their regular schedule.
Political Context and Opposition Crackdown
Erdogan originally came to power as prime minister in 2003, serving three terms before winning the presidency in 2014. A 2017 constitutional referendum abolished the prime ministerial post and transferred full executive powers to the presidency. Under the new system, Erdogan was re-elected in 2018 and 2023. His supporters argue that term limits should only be counted from the inception of the presidential system, rendering his 2014 victory exempt.
This is not the first time a final run has been mentioned. Ahead of municipal elections in March 2024, Erdogan declared, "For me, this is a finale. With the authority vested in me by law, these elections are my last."
Uçum's statement coincides with an extensive legal crackdown on the main opposition Republican People's Party (CHP), which achieved a landslide victory in the 2024 local elections. Istanbul Mayor Ekrem İmamoğlu, widely viewed as Erdogan's primary rival, was arrested in March 2025 and imprisoned on the day he was nominated as the party's presidential candidate. His trial opened in March, with prosecutors demanding a sentence of 2,430 years in prison. İmamoğlu denies the charges, calling them a politically motivated attempt to block his candidacy.
