UPDATE - No snap polls in Turkey as Erdogan eyes historic win in 2023 general elections

ADDS MORE REMARKS BY TURKISH PRESIDENT

By Jeyhun Aliyev

ANKARA (AA) – President Recep Tayyip Erdogan on Tuesday reaffirmed that Turkey will not go for snap elections, and predicted victory in the polls scheduled for June 2023.

"We will take the record much further by winning the presidency and gaining a majority in parliament in the 2023 June elections as the People's Alliance," Erdogan said at a meeting of Justice and Development (AK) Party's provincial heads in the capital Ankara.

"By winning these elections, we will have taken our country to a new stage in the construction of a great and powerful Turkey on the foundation of the work and services we have established since November 2002," said Erdogan, referring to the election nearly two decades ago that swept his party into power.

Recounting previous AK Party electoral wins, Erdogan said the victories "confirmed the (party’s) place in the heart of the nation."

He said that since the AK Party was founded in 2001, they have come first in every national election they have entered, without exception.

He also underlined that with its success, the AK Party is one of the most exceptional examples in world democracies of parties that have been able to maintain such a high level of votes and power for such a long time.

"We are a party and the People's Alliance that present the current practices of a modern structure, a modern world,” he said, referring to the AK Party’s election/voting alliance, including the Nationalist Movement Party (MHP).

- Goals for 2023, Turkey's centenary

“Developments have brought the elections to 2023, the year that coincides with our 2023 goals," on Turkey’s centenary, Erdogan added.

The country has set specific goals and targets for the year 2023 that include major improvements in the economy, energy, health care, and transportation.

"Of course, every election is important for Turkey and for us, every election is vital," he added.

Devlet Bahceli, the head of AK Party electoral ally the MHP, also said earlier that 2023 will be "the year of victory for the People's Alliance, Turkey, and the Turkish nation."

The AK Party has consistently denied rumors of early elections and efforts to promote them, saying the country needs years without elections so the government can focus on the country's business.