Turkey’s Erdogan to Seek Reelection, Circumvent Constitutional Term Limits

Speculation is swirling throughout Turkey that President Recep Tayyip Erdogan could seek to extend his rule beyond his constitutionally limited second term, with predictions that an early election could open a legal path for him to run again fueling warnings that such a move would further undermine the country’s democracy.

First reported by Turkish media outlets, Mehmet Uçum, a senior presidential adviser and deputy chairman of the Presidential Legal Policies Council, addressed the prospects of an early vote, saying the upcoming presidential and parliamentary elections — currently scheduled for May 2028 — could be brought forward to April, potentially allowing Erdogan to seek a third term.

“I expect the elections to be held on April 16, 2028. The date has symbolic significance, marking the anniversary of the referendum that paved the way for Turkey’s presidential system,” Uçum told the Turkish Press Council. “President Recep Tayyip Erdogan will run for the final time.”

Under Turkey’s constitution, parliament can bring presidential and parliamentary elections forward before the president’s term expires, opening the door for a president serving a second term to run again. Without an early election called by parliament, the constitution limits the president to two terms in office.

By law, an early election requires the backing of 360 lawmakers, or three-fifths of Turkey’s 600-seat parliament. Erdogan’s ruling Justice and Development Party (AKP) and its nationalist ally, the Nationalist Movement Party (MHP), fall at least 30 votes short of that threshold, leaving them dependent on support from lawmakers outside their alliance.

However, the Turkish government has yet to officially announce plans for an early-election vote or confirm that Erdogan intends to seek another presidential term.

The Turkish leader has been in power for more than two decades, first serving as prime minister from 2003 to 2014 before being elected president in 2014.

After the 2017 constitutional referendum transformed Turkey’s system of government, Erdogan was elected under the new executive presidential system in 2018 and won a second term under that system in 2023.

The controversial reform replaced Turkey’s parliamentary system with an executive presidency, transferring much of the government’s executive authority from parliament and the prime minister’s office to the president.

Even though Erdogan had already served as president from 2014 to 2018, meaning he would otherwise have been barred from seeking another term after 2023, Turkey’s election board ruled that his first five-year term under the current system began with his 2018 election, allowing him to run again in 2023.

If an early election were held and Erdogan were reelected, he would enter a fourth term as president, his third under the current system, extending his time at the helm of Turkey to more than 25 years.

The prospect of another Erdogan candidacy has renewed longstanding concerns inside Turkey and abroad over democratic backsliding, with critics pointing to mounting pressure on political opponents, journalists, and civil society, alongside restrictions on media freedom, online expression, and judicial independence.

In the past several years, Turkey has intensified its crackdown on the digital space as Erdogan tightens his grip on state institutions, raising concerns that the country’s remaining avenues for dissent are increasingly coming under state control.

According to a report by the Freedom of Expression Association (İFÖD), more than 1.5 million websites and domain names had been blocked in Turkey in 2025, underscoring what experts described as the government’s growing use of online censorship as a routine tool to suppress dissent and tighten political control.

Turkey’s media landscape has been steadily reshaped in recent years through regulatory pressure, ownership consolidation, and state-aligned corporate takeovers that have shifted much of the country’s television and newspaper sector toward pro-government influence.

Rights groups and media watchdogs say the result has been a sharply diminished space for independent journalism, as critical outlets face mounting financial and legal pressures while pro-government media groups increasingly dominate public discourse.

Moving far beyond the regulation of online content, critics say the expanding digital crackdown has become a key instrument for narrowing political space — used to silence opposition voices, intimidate journalists, and stifle public dissent.

Democracy advocates warn that it also serves to obscure a deepening system of internal repression, as authorities tighten control over information flows, reshape the online environment, and consolidate political power while maintaining the appearance of democratic governance.

The growing concerns over Turkey’s democratic backsliding extend well beyond its borders.

Earlier this year, the European Parliament sharply criticized Ankara over what the lawmakers described as a pattern of transnational repression, political interference abroad, and support for extremist and ideological networks.

European lawmakers also reiterated longstanding concerns about democratic backsliding in Turkey, citing the erosion of judicial independence, increasing restrictions on media freedom, and persistent pressure on civil society organizations.

They further raised concerns over the prosecution of journalists and opposition figures, persistent allegations of corruption, and the continued non-implementation of European Court of Human Rights rulings.

In June, Turkish riot police forced their way into the main opposition party’s headquarters to evict its ousted leadership.

Police stormed the Republican People’s Party (CHP) building in Ankara, firing tear gas and rubber bullets to disperse supporters and officials who had barricaded themselves inside and were shouting and throwing objects at the entrance.

A Turkish court ousted CHP leader Ozgur Ozel, annulling the results of the 2023 party congress where he was elected chairman, citing irregularities in a ruling that dealt a major blow to Erdogan’s challengers and posed a test for democracy in Turkey.