Erdogan seeks way to bypass term limits via early elections

Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan may seek to bypass constitutional term limits to run for another presidential term. According to his legal advisor, Mehmet Uçum, a potential strategy involves Erdoğan resigning shortly before the end of his current mandate to trigger early elections.

Under the current constitution, which limits presidents to two terms, Erdoğan—who has been in power since 2003—would typically be ineligible to run again in the scheduled May 2028 elections. However, Uçum suggests that if the current mandate is not completed, it might not count toward the limit. To achieve this, the government would need the support of 360 members of parliament to declare early elections, whereas the ruling coalition currently holds 326 seats.

Justice Minister Akin Gürlek has also signaled the possibility of further terms, stating during a party meeting that the goal for 2028 is to “re-elect our president.”

Opposition figures have criticized these moves. Ekrem İmamoğlu, the former Mayor of Istanbul and a major political rival currently imprisoned, has called for immediate elections. İmamoğlu and his supporters argue that legal proceedings against opposition figures are politically motivated attempts to eliminate competition.