2023 polls will take place at historic milestone: Erdoğan

ANKARA

Turkey will hold the next presidential and parliamentary elections in 2023 as the country will observe a “historic milestone” on its centennial anniversary, President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan has said, vowing to stand strong against those who are dreaming about “the old Turkey.”

“The elections in 2023 will take place at an historic milestone,” Erdoğan said in his virtual address to the ruling Justice and Development Party (AKP) conventions in multiple provinces on Jan. 18. Due to the pandemic, Erdoğan is joining the AKP’s provincial conventions through video conference.

Turkey’s next elections are scheduled for June 2023. “Now we have 2023 elections ahead of us. Of course, all the elections are important as they have vital importance in regards to the next steps of the country,” he stated.

There are still those who are in pursuit of “the old Turkey” dominated by terror, coups and tutelage, Erdoğan stated, adding that it was only the AKP that has “concrete projects for the democratic and economic development of the country.”

He also slammed Western countries which criticize Turkey over democracy and human rights, saying “Those who criticize over democracy do not hesitate to implement shameful acts in the name of democracy when they run into trouble. Those who criticize us over human rights do not hesitate to move in the most fascist way when they face even a tiniest difficulty. They support terror organizations in the territories of other countries, but they have never allowed them in their countries.”

Turkey has left almost all the difficulties behind and is moving forward to collect the fruits of the past era, Erdoğan stated. “We are very close to a strong Turkey, as we have never been.”