Erdogan announces snap elections on June 24

By Sena Guler

ANKARA (AA) - President Recep Tayyip Erdogan on Wednesday announced early presidential and parliamentary elections on June 24.

Speaking at a news conference at the presidential complex following a meeting with opposition Nationalist Movement Party (MHP) head Devlet Bahceli, Erdogan said: “Turkey’s cross border operation in Syria, and the situation in both Syria and Iraq obliged Turkey to overcome uncertainties as soon as possible.

“For this reason at the end of talks with Mr. Bahceli, we decided to hold elections on June 24, 2018 on Sunday.”

The announcement comes after Bahceli made a call on Tuesday for early elections in the country.

On April 16, 2017, Turkey held a referendum during which the majority of voters decided in favor of an 18-article bill to switch from a parliamentary to a presidential system.