Turkey to hold early presidential and parliamentary elections

Turkey’s presidential and parliamentary elections will be brought forward to June 24, Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan said following the meeting with the head of the nationalist MHP party, Devlet Bahceli.

"Even though the president and government are working in unison, the diseases of the old system confront us at every step we take," Erdogan said in a speech broadcast live on television.

"Developments in Syria and elsewhere have made it urgent to switch to the new executive system in order to take steps for our country’s future in a stronger way... We discussed Mr Bahceli’s call with our relevant authorities. We came to the agreement that we should approach this early election positively," Reuters cited Erdogan as saying.

The elections had previously been slated for November 2019.

The government had previously dismissed the prospect of early polls. Erdogan last year narrowly won a referendum to change the constitution and create an executive presidency. However, those extended powers are not due to take effect until after the presidential election.