Turkish President Erdogan calls for early parliamentary and presidential elections
Turkish President Erdogan has called for early parliamentary and presidential elections on May 14, a month earlier than planned, citing university exams, summer holidays, and the Hajj pilgrimage. 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 that left millions homeless across southern Turkey. The vote 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.