Erdoğan rejects opposition’s claim over his presidential candidacy

DENİZLİ

President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan has rejected the claims by the opposition alliance that he cannot run in the next presidential polls since he was already elected two times in 2014 and 2018.

“Türkiye has moved into a new government system through the 2018 polls. That means it reset [the system]. By reason and by law, the president elected in 2018 is the first president of the new system,” Erdoğan said during a rally in the Aegean province of Denizli on Jan. 28.

The opposition Nation Alliance claimed that Erdoğan cannot run in mid-May presidential polls as the constitution says that a person can elect to the presidency only two times. Erdoğan criticized the opposition for making baseless arguments, saying, “Well, as they see that they cannot find a candidate, they attack my candidacy.”

“I am the president for four-and-half years. Where were you during this time? Why did you not say all these before? The amended constitution with the votes of the people in 2017 is so clear that it leaves no room for hesitation [over my candidacy],” he said.

Erdoğan will run for the presidency as the joint candidate of the People’s Alliance, comprising the ruling Justice and Development Party (AKP) and the Nationalist Movement Party (MHP). The Nation Alliance has just started internal deliberations for naming its joint candidate to run against Erdoğan.

Claiming that the opposition has already started to live the fear of losing the polls, the president stressed: “But they don’t need to fear. We have beaten all our rivals through the elections as we don’t approve any other way than [accepting the superiority of] the national will.”

Erdoğan vowed to win the elections on May 14 and will defeat those who want to introduce a new version of tutelage over the national will. “All these opposition parties and their partners mean nothing when compared to our vision of Century of Türkiye,” he stated.