President Erdogan sets stage for May 14 election in Türkiye

Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan has signalled that he intends to bring the date of the country's general election forward by one month to May 14.

The announcement on Wednesday sets the stage for a vote that could extend Erdogan's presidency into a third decade.

The 68-year-old leader stamped his mark on Türkiye, becoming the country's most influential leader since the presidency of the founder of the republic, Mustafa Kemal Ataturk, a century ago.

He oversaw years of economic booms and a devastating Covid-19 pandemic, wars and thwarted a bloody coup attempt.

His supporters revere him for giving a voice to the marginalised and creating a thriving new middle class in the nation of 85 million people.

Erdogan's opposition enters the campaign divided over everything from policy to strategy and has not agreed on a candidate to field against Erdogan.

Fractured opposition

Türkiye's next general election had officially been due on June 18. 

But Erdogan's allies in parliament have been hinting for weeks that they may bring the polls forward because of religious holidays and school exams.

The Turkish parliament will make a final decision on the date exact date of the polls.

Erdogan delivered a speech to his ruling party Wednesday in which he recalled the day contemporary Türkiye held its first free election in 1950. That May 14 vote was won by Adnan Menderes.

"The late Menderes said on May 14, 1950 'enough, the people will have their say' , and emerged victorious at the ballot box," Erdogan said in televised remarks.

"Our people will give their answer to the (opposition) on the same day 73 years later."

The fractured opposition has still not united around a single candidate after more than a year of heated talks. The six opposition politicians intend to hold their next discussions about a presidential candidate on January 26.

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