President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan on April 6 dismissed opposition calls for early elections, saying the government has no such plans and remains focused on its own agenda.
"I want it to be known that neither our government nor our nation has any plans for early or by-elections in the near future," Erdoğan said after a cabinet meeting.
His remarks came in response to a push by main opposition Republican People’s Party (CHP) leader Özgür Özel, who has called for by-elections and intensified political pressure following a renewed wave of legal actions targeting municipalities run by his party.
"Our government is in control of its agenda; no one can impose an agenda on us. No one can divert Türkiye's agenda with artificial debates, no matter what pretext," Erdoğan said.
"We are striving to fight, within the legal framework, those who siphon off resources that should be going to investment, production, services and development. While crises and conflicts are occurring in our region, we have only one agenda: To keep our country away from this fire and to increase the bread on our nation's table."
Özel’s calls came after the detention of Mustafa Bozbey on March 31, along with family members, on bribery charges, marking the latest move against CHP-governed municipalities.
The opposition leader has also floated the possibility of holding early general elections alongside local polls, suggesting the party would consider "any kind of electoral compromise" if a vote were called.
Under Article 78 of Türkiye's Constitution, parliament can call a by-election once 30 months have passed since the last general election and at least one year remains before the next. The last parliamentary vote was held in May 2023, with the next scheduled for May 2028.
A by-election becomes mandatory if vacant seats reach 5 percent of parliament, or 30 lawmakers. Currently, eight seats are vacant due to deaths and resignations.
The CHP could theoretically trigger a by-election by orchestrating the resignation of at least 22 lawmakers, though such resignations must be approved by parliament’s General Assembly, where the ruling alliance holds a majority.
Local elections in Türkiye are held every five years, and altering that schedule would require a constitutional amendment. Still, reports indicate the CHP is considering a strategy to force local by-elections through coordinated resignations in municipal councils.
The party’s presidential candidate, Istanbul Mayor Ekrem İmamoğlu, has been jailed since last year on corruption charges, after being arrested on the day his candidacy was announced.
Since then, the CHP has organized rallies nationwide calling for early elections, while several of its mayors continue to face legal proceedings.
Israel continues to undermine all efforts to end war
Erdoğan also said that the war that began on Feb. 28 in the Middle East continues to claim lives despite diplomatic efforts, accusing Israel of undermining initiatives aimed at ending the conflict.
Erdoğan said: "Israeli government continues to undermine all efforts to end war."
He also said Israel “proves it feeds on tensions” by keeping Al-Aqsa Mosque closed, pursuing the death penalty for Palestinian prisoners, and escalating tensions in Lebanon and Syria.
Erdoğan further stressed that recent developments in the region underline the importance of Türkiye’s “Terror-free Türkiye” process, launched to strengthen internal unity and solidarity.
"At a time when attempts are being made to build walls between Turks, Kurds, Arabs, and Persians, we can neutralize these plots with our vision of a terror-free Türkiye and a terror-free region," he added.
