Turkish presidential election may be held ahead of schedule

Turkish President Tayyip Erdogan may hold the next presidential election ahead of schedule, as early as this fall, since the economic situation in the country is expected to improve soon, German newspaper Welt am Sonntag reported on Sunday, citing sources in the European External Action Service (EEAS) and EU diplomats.

At the moment, the next presidential and parliamentary elections in Turkey are scheduled for mid-June 2023, but, according to the sources and officials cited by the media outlet, the date can be changed in the near future.

The probability of an early presidential election is pretty high, since Turkey's struggling economy is expected to recover in the short term after receiving revenue from tourism this summer, which may, in turn, improve sentiments among the Turkish population, Welt am Sonntag reported.

The media outlet cited data from the Turkish Statistical Institute as showing that tourism brought $8.7 billion to Ankara from April to June, which is 190% more year-on-year.

At the same time, high energy prices exacerbated by unfavorable exchange rates may have a negative impact on consumers and, therefore, voters, especially during winter months, EEAS sources and EU diplomats were cited as saying.

Meanwhile, according to Welt am Sonntag, Erdogan's international activities as an intermediary between the West and Russia, his threats to invade northern Syria and the resumption of gas drilling in the eastern Mediterranean may indicate the president's desire to improve his position before the presidential election.