Justice Minister Akın Gürlek (AA Photo)
Türkiye’s next presidential and parliamentary elections will take place in 2028, the justice minister has said, firmly ruling out any possibility of early elections in 2027.
“[Presidential] election will be held in 2028 to reelect our president [Recep Tayyip Erdoğan],” Akın Gürlek said at an event in the southern city of Adana on Sept. 18.
Türkiye’s next general election is set for May 2028, but the ruling AKP plans to call an early vote so Erdoğan can legally run for another term.
Elected twice in 2018 and 2023, Erdoğan can run for office for the third time if the Turkish parliament decides to dissolve itself and hold the elections before May 2028.
While earlier reports suggested the AKP favored autumn 2027 as the ideal window, Gürlek’s latest statements ruled this option out.
The election of Erdoğan will pave the way for advancing the “Century of Türkiye” vision, Gürlek said, calling on AKP fellows to effectively work to this end.
Gürlek’s statements followed Erdoğan’s adviser Mehmet Uçum’s prediction that the next elections could be held on April 16, 2028.
Uçum recalled that April 16 carries great symbolic weight because it marks the anniversary of the 2017 constitutional referendum that transitioned Türkiye from a parliamentary system to the executive presidential model.
Furthermore, the adviser maintained that the 2028 polls will serve as Erdoğan’s final bid for office.
A vote for the dissolution of the parliament requires the support of at least 360 lawmakers. Under the current parliamentary composition, the ruling People Alliance has 330 seats and, therefore, needs support from other parties.
