What's happened
Turkish President Erdogan calls for early parliamentary and presidential elections on May 14
Why it matters
The early elections will be Erdogan's biggest test in his 20 years in power, and will decide not only who leads Turkey but how it is governed, where its economy is headed, and what role it may play in easing conflict in Ukraine and the Middle East.
What the papers say
Reuters and Gulf News report the same information.
How we got here
In the aftermath of earthquakes that left millions homeless across southern Turkey, Erdogan has called for early parliamentary and presidential elections. The six-party main opposition alliance has named Kemal Kilicdaroglu, leader of the Republican People's Party (CHP), as its candidate to challenge Erdogan for the presidency. Erdogan's campaign will focus on recovery after the earthquakes.
More on these topics
-
Kemal Kılıçdaroğlu is a Turkish social democratic politician. He is leader of the CHP and has been Leader of the Main Opposition in Turkey since 2010.
-
Turkey, officially the Republic of Turkey, is a transcontinental country located mainly on the Anatolian peninsula in Western Asia, with a smaller portion on the Balkan peninsula in Southeastern Europe.
-
Recep Tayyip Erdoğan is a Turkish politician serving as the 12th and current President of Turkey. He previously served as Prime Minister of Turkey from 2003 to 2014 and as Mayor of Istanbul from 1994 to 1998.