Erdogan says this month’s local elections his last

ERBIL, Kurdistan Region - Turkey’s President Recep Tayyip Erdogan said on Friday that the local elections later this month will be his last, alluding to bringing an end to his reign as leader of Turkey that spanned two decades. 

“For me, this is final,” Erdogan said in a shock announcement at a youth foundation in Istanbul.

“With the authority the law confers to me, this election is my last,” the 70-year-old added, referring to local elections set to take place at the end of this month.

The Turkish president is still confident that his ruling Justice and Development Party (AKP) will win the vote. “The outcome that will emerge will be a blessing for my brothers who come after me,” he said.

The news of Erdogan’s possible retirement was received with some skepticism.

“I feel like Erdogan is building emotions with this statement to capture more cities in the mayoral race,” journalist Ragip Soylu wrote on X. “He may change his mind a few times until then or could try to amend the constitution.”

Erdogan is the only president in Turkish history elected directly through a public vote and has served three terms in the post. His first term came after winning the 2014 election. Following a 2017 referendum on amendments to several constitutional articles that changed the country’s system from parliamentary to presidential, he won a third presidential term. 

He was previously prime minister for 11 years and before that was mayor of Istanbul.

For over two decades, Erdogan has gained a reputation as an undefeated figure, dominating elections. However, while he won the 2019 election, his party lost the mayoralty of the country’s largest two cities to the opposition Republican People’s Party (CHP). 

In this final election that he will contest, Erdogan hopes to regain Istanbul and Ankara from the CHP.

In the latest poll conducted by MetroPoll on March 2, CHP’s incumbent Istanbul mayor Ekrem Imamoglu marginally leads the race against AKP’s candidate Murat Kurum.