Devlet Bahçeli, leader of government ally Nationalist Movement Party (MHP), told reporters on Tuesday that they will continue supporting President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan and emphasized the importance of the timetable for upcoming presidential elections.
He was answering questions about the possibility of rescheduling the elections in 2028 and calls by the opposition for an early election. President’s chief adviser Mehmet Uçum penned an article on June 15 in which he underlined that the early election should be ruled out, though he noted that under existing regulations and laws, the vote may be rescheduled to April 16 at best, from the planned date of May 7, 2028. Bahçeli said Uçum’s suggestion does not mean that the election would be held early. “As a matter of fact, this is a timely election too. What matters is holding the election in time (regardless of slight variations in the timetable). We see several figures calculating how to compete in elections and when, they try to impose (an early) election on the public. This is not right,” he said. “Our president continues his duty, and we support him,” Bahçeli added, referring to a debate by the opposition on the eligibility of Erdoğan to run again in the 2028 elections.
