MHP to support Erdogan in early presidential election

By Fatih Hafiz Mehmet

ANKARA

The leader of the Turkish opposition Nationalist Movement Party (MHP) said on Wednesday that his party would support President Recep Tayyip Erdogan in the planned early presidential election in June.

"Our presidential candidate is Recep Tayyip Erdogan," Devlet Bahceli announced on his Twitter account.

Bahceli said he reached a historical agreement with President Recep Tayyip Erdogan during their meeting.

"As Turkey is under attack and siege from many fronts, resorting to the opportunities of democracy is a legitimate, appropriate and fair action," he said.

Bahceli added that thanks to this latest decison to hold snap elections, the democratic road map for a presidential government system has become clear.

Erdogan earlier on Wednesday announced plans to hold presidential and parliamentary elections on June 24, over a year before they had been scheduled, in November 2019.

The announcement came after Bahceli -- whose party is set to enter elections in an alliance with the ruling Justice and Development (AK) Party -- called for early elections.

On April 16, 2017, Turkey held a referendum during which the majority of voters pronounced themselves in favor of an 18-article bill switching a parliamentary system into a presidential one.