TÜRKİYE ELECTION TRACKER
Türkiye Election Tracker provides an overview of the key political, economic, and social developments on the upcoming 2023 elections.
The information provided on this page is collected from sources deemed reliable. It does not reflect the views of CORPERA.
Turkish President Tayyip Erdogan canceled his scheduled campaign rallies on Wednesday and Thursday for health reasons, weeks before May 14 presidential and parliamentary elections.
Late on Tuesday, Erdogan cut short a live TV interview during which he said he felt sick with an upset stomach.
The 27th legislative term of the Turkish Grand National Assembly has concluded with its final meeting prior to the May 14 elections. Of the 600 deputies, 328 have not been nominated by any political party for the upcoming election.
President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan has argued that the opposition parties are against “the sacred family structure” for not being against the LGBTI+ community. Meanwhile, Interior Minister Süleyman Soylu criticized the presidential candidate of the main opposition bloc Nation Alliance, Kemal Kılıçdaroğlu, for his comments on religion and questioned how Kılıçdaroğlu could accept LGBTI+ people when he claims to be following in the path of the prophet Muhammed.
The presidential candidate of the main opposition bloc Nation Alliance and leader of the Republican People’s Party (CHP), Kemal Kılıçdaroğlu, has unveiled plans for agricultural development projects that he intends to implement if elected in the upcoming election. The plans included establishment of specialized economic zones for agriculture and livestock in the provinces of Afyon, Konya, and Erzurum, as well as to construction of ports for livestock and agricultural products in Ordu and Hatay provinces. He expressed his vision for Türkiye to become the region’s leading exporter of food and livestock and pledged to subsidize agricultural activities as needed.
Main opposition CHP leader and Nation Alliance’s presidential candidate Kemal Kılıçdaroğlu paid a visit to a cemetery in quake-torn Adıyaman. While prayers were being offered at the cemetery, a citizen verbally attacked Kılıçdaroğlu over his Alevi identity and said: “He doesn’t know how to read Fatiha (an Islamic prayer), why are you making him recite,” After shouting, the man was removed by bystanders. Kılıçdaroğlu later posted about the issue on Twitter. “At the cemetery, a grieving person can say and do anything; one must give to their grief. Let’s not talk about these things today, let’s commemorate our losses properly. Please don’t try to expose that person, let’s act responsibly, especially on social media. I have forgiven them,” he wrote.
he Women’s Platform for Equality (EŞİK) has analyzed the parties’ finalized candidate lists and stated that no women MPs will be elected from 33 provinces. The Green Left Party has the highest proportion of women on its list (41.54%), while the MHP has the lowest proportion (4.00%). MHP is followed by the İYİ Party (11.36%), CHP (18.18%), and AKP (19.05%).
President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan flicked the switch on Türkiye’s first delivery of natural gas to an onshore plant from a reserve discovered in the Black Sea, and promised to provide free natural gas for households before May 14 elections.
Supreme Election Council (YSK) has rejected objections against ministers’ deputy candidacies for the parliament. The opposition parties had applied to the YSK in order for ministers to resign from their posts to be deputy candidates because they are “public servants.”
Domestic Voter Registration Inquiry has been enabled in e-Government; voters in Türkiye and abroad can access their electoral registers for the presidential elections and the 28th term parliamentary elections and verify their voter registration details, including their registered province/district and disability status, and to see other voters residing in the same household.
Supreme Election Council (YSK) chief Ahmet Yener announced that a total of 64,113,941 people will be eligible to vote both at home and abroad, with 60,697,843 residing in Türkiye. Nearly half of these, 29,987,053 people corresponding to 49.40%, are male voters while the remaining 50.60% of them are female voters, topping 30,710,790 people, the YSK chief added. Meanwhile, around 4,904,672 voters will be heading to polls for the first time on May 14, and should the presidential vote stretch into a runoff, some 47,523 more citizens will be added to the first-time voters.
Nation Alliance’s presidential candidate Kemal Kılıçdaroğlu has announced economic development projects he will implement should he assume power in the May 14 presidential election. Kılıçdaroğlu said a reverse migration would start from metropolitan cities with the projects will introduce. Kılıçdaroğlu said there will be an investment of 123 billion dollars in the first five years and 300 billion dollars in 10 years. “20 percent of these investments will be made with public resources… Our per capita income will gradually rise to over 20,000 dollars. With the contribution of these projects, Türkiye will grow at least 5.5% in the first four years and 6.2 percent in the next six years,” he added.
Former Peoples’ Democratic Party (HDP) Co-Chair Selahattin Demirtaş has said that “we will do anything” to make the terrorist group PKK disarm in Türkiye after the Justice and Development Party’s (AKP) rule ends.
Nation Alliance’s presidential candidate Kemal Kılıçdaroğlu has released a brochure on what he will do in the first 100 days of his presidency. The brochure has listed Kılıçdaroğlu’s pledges for workers, farmers, civil servants, small businesses, students, women, and earthquake survivors.
9 April
Political parties in Türkiye delivered their parliamentary candidate lists for the upcoming elections on May 14 to the Supreme Election Council (YSK). The AKP agreed to nominate current ministers in the Cabinet as first-place MP candidates, and the party has essentially refreshed its lists, opting to remove some 196 members of Parliament due to a rule limiting deputies to three terms only in favor of introducing new names to its seats in Parliament. Now the YSK will evaluate submitted lists and allow the parties to compensate for any deficiencies or errors by April 14.
7 April
Democratic Left Party (DSP) chair Önder Aksakal announced that the party will support President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan and enter the elections under the AKP deputy list. Aksakal’s announcement caused a crack within the party, with the Trabzon Provincial Organization calling the move a “betrayal” and DSP Vice Chair Onur İste resigning from his post.
7 April
The HDP notified the Constitutional Court that it will not submit its verbal defense with regards to the closure case due to the tight election timetable. The HDP had previously demanded the postponement of the verbal defense (scheduled for April 11) to a date after the elections, but the party’s demand was rejected
4 April
Allegedly fourteen provincial organizations of the New Welfare Party (YRP) decided to back the opposition Nation Alliance’s candidate Kemal Kılıçdaroğlu in the 2023 presidential elections. Karar columnist Elif Çakır reported that she spoke to a provincial chair of the YRP and he stated that they informed their party’s leader Erbakan of their decision. The chair said that 14 provincial organizations also reported in writing to the headquarters that they disapproved of the alliance and would never vote for President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan or the AKP. YRP denied the allegations and stated that they stand with their alliance decision.
29 March
Presidential Candidates Kılıçdaroğlu and İnce Meets
The Presidential Candidate of the Nation (Millet) Alliance and Republican People’s Party (CHP) Leader Kemal Kılıçdaroğlu visited the Homeland (Memleket) Party Leader and Presidential Candidate Muharrem İnce.
Following the meeting, İnce said he won’t be withdrawing from his candidacy yet both parties agreed on ensuring election security and ousting the current President Erdogan.
İnce’s candidacy, who ran as the presidential candidate of CHP in the 2018 elections, is expected to split the opposition votes in the first round of presidential elections.
29 March
Erdoğan Announces Second Minimum Wage Hike
President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan announced minimum wage hike in July, marking the second increase in 2023. Erdogan also announced that the electricity prices will be lowered by 15% and gas prices for industrial consumption will be lowered by 20% in April.
Turkey previously increased the minimum wage by 54.66% in January to 8.506 TRY (444 USD).
28 March
MHP will Run its Own Candidates in the Parliamentary Elections
The Nationalist Movement Party (MHP) Leader Devlet Bahçeli announced that MHP will run with its own candidates in the parliamentary elections. In his statement Bahçeli pointed out that two other parties in the Cumhur Alliance, the Great Unity Party (BBP) and the New Welfare Party (YRP), are also competing with their own logo in the parliamentary elections.
25 March
2 More Candidates Join the Presidential Race
Homeland (Memleket) Party leader Muharrem Ince and ATA Alliance’s presidential candidate Sinan Oğan have qualified to run in the presidential elections, as they secured more than 100.000 signatures; 114.000 and 111.000 signatures respectively.
As the Supreme Election Council (YSK) approves two more candidates, the number of candidates to compete in the presidential elections raise to four:
– Kemal Kılıçdaroğlu
– Recep Tayyip Erdogan
– Muharrem İnce
– Sinan Oğan
24 March
New Welfare Party Joins the People’s Alliance
The New Welfare (Yeniden Refah) Party joins the People’s (Cumhur) Alliance as the fourth party. Yeniden Refah Party Leader Fatih Erbakan also withdrew his presidential candidacy, adding that the party has reached an agreement with the President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan. The party will enter the Parliamentary elections with their party logo in all electoral areas.
23 March
HDP will Enter Elections under the Green Left Party
The People’s Democratic Party (HDP) announced that they will enter the elections under the Green Left (Yeşil Sol) Party, amid the ongoing closure case against HDP.
The Green Left Party revised its logo, integrating HDP’s colors and elements.
22 March
Labour and Freedom Alliance Will Not Nominate Presidential Candidate
Emek ve Özgürlük (Labour and Freedom) Alliance, consisting of 6 political parties including the People’s Democratic Party (HDP), announced that they will not nominate candidate for the Presidential election.
Co-Leader of HDP Pervin Buldan said “We’ll fulfill our historical responsibility against the one-man rule in the presidential elections”, signaling support to the Millet (Nation) Alliance presidential candidate Kemal Kılıçdaroğlu.
21 March
AK Party and MHP apply to YSK for Erdoğan’s Presidential Candidacy
AK Party and MHP applied to the Supreme Election Board (YSK) for the presidential candidacy of President Recep Tayyip Erdogan.
20 March
Kılıçdaroğlu Visits HDP
Presidential candidate of the Millet (Nation) Alliance and Republican People’s Party (CHP) leader Kemal Kılıçdaroğlu visited Peoples’ Democratic Party (HDP) co-chairs Pervin Buldan and Mithat Sancar. Kılıçdaroğlu criticized the closure case against HDP, and stressed that parliamentary system is the solution to all problems, including the “Kurdish issue”.
HDP will evaluate the meeting with the Labour and Freedom (Emek ve Özgürlük) Alliance in the following days and make a joint statement.
20 March
New Welfare Party Abstains from Joining an Alliance
The New Welfare Party (Yeniden Refah Partisi) announced that they would not join any alliance, the party leader Fatih Erbakan also announced his presidential candidacy.
In early March, Erbakan had a meeting with the AK Party Deputy Chair Binali Yıldırım, signaling the possibility of joining the Cumhur Alliance. Reportedly, the New Welfare Party set 30 conditions for joining the alliance, including abolishing the Law No. 6284 on the Protection of the Family and the Prevention of Violence Against Women. YRP claimed that AK Party accept their request, the ruling party denies the claim.
17 March
Freedom and Labor Alliance Joins Forces
Türkiye’s second biggest opposition block, Freedom and Labor Alliance, has decided to join forces for the 2023 elections. While Peoples’ Democratic Party (HDP) will run in the elections with its own list of candidates in all 81 provinces, the Workers’ Party of Turkey (TİP) will run in 41 provinces.
14 March
Supreme Election Council Announces the Election Calendar
Supreme Election Council (YSK) election calendar has been published in the Official Gazette. Key dates are as follows:
– March 18: Start of the election calendar
– March 19: Start of the Presidential candidacy applications
– March 24: Deadline for submitting the alliance protocols
– March 31: Finalization of the Presidential candidates
– April 19: Finalization of the Parliamentary candidates
– May 14: First round of Presidential elections & Parliamentary elections
– May 28: Second round of Presidential elections (if no candidate secures more than 50%)
13 March
Muharrem İnce Joins the Presidential Race
The Homeland Party (Memleket Partisi) announced Muharrem İnce, founder of the Party, as their presidential candidate. İnce previously ran as CHP’s presidential candidate in 2018 elections, claiming 30.6% of the votes.
11 March
HÜDA PAR Joins Cumhur Alliance
The leader of the Kurdish Islamist Free Cause Party (Hüda-Par) declared that it will support President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan in the 14 May elections. HüdaPar is allegedly affiliated with Kurdish Hezbollah, a Kurdish-Islamist terrorist organization.
10 March
President Erdogan Formally Sets the Election Date as May 14
President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan officially set the date for elections as May 14, signing the decree for the renewal of the presidential and parliamentary elections. The decree is published in the Official Gazette.
9 March
The Constitutional Court Postpones HDP’s Verbal Defense & Restores State Funding
The Constitutional Court (AYM) lifted the temporary suspension of state funding for the People’s Democratic Party (HDP). HDP will be able to benefit from Treasury aid for 2023.
The Court also postponed the verbal defense over HDP’s ongoing closure case to April 11, instead of March 14 upon the party’s request.
6 March
The Opposition Alliance Reunites, Announces Kılıçdaroğlu as the Presidential Candidate
Main opposition Nation Alliance has announced CHP leader Kemal Kılıçdaroğlu as the joint presidential candidate. Kılıçdaroğlu said the other five leaders in the alliance will become vice presidents should he come to power. Chairs of the political parties in the alliance agreed on the roadmap to change the system to the strengthened parliamentary system and concluded 12 clauses.
6 March
Türkiye’s Election Process will Start on March 10
Following the Cabinet Meeting, President Erdogan announced that the official process for Türkiye’s presidential and parliamentary elections will launch on March 10. “Based on the authority given to us by the Constitution, we will take the election decision on Friday, March 10, and the decision will be published in the Official Gazette the next day.”, said Erdogan.
6 March
İmamoğlu and Yavaş meets Akşener before the Nation Alliance Meeting
Main opposition CHP mayors Ekrem İmamoğlu and Mansur Yavaş have met with İYİ Party chair Meral Akşener before the meeting of the Millet (Nation) Alliance leaders who will today announce their joint candidate for the 2023 presidential elections. An İYİ Party spokesperson said that Akşener will be back in the alliance if the two CHP mayors take on the role of vice presidents in the new cabinet.
3 March
IYI Party Splits from the Opposition Alliance
IYI Party leader Meral Akşener has said that the country’s six-party opposition alliance no longer reflected the national will, signaling her party’s withdrawal from the grouping ahead of May elections (IYI Party Vote Percentage: 10-18). Akşener said the alliance of the other five parties opposed their proposed candidates – either Istanbul Mayor Ekrem Imamoğlu or Ankara Mayor Mansur Yavaş. She called on either mayor to run for president in a news conference, the conference was brief but her rhetoric was harsh. “The Good Party was cornered. It was caught between a rock and a hard place. But it won’t be a rubber stamp of this policy (of the opposition alliance),” she said. Media outlets reported that the CHP convened an extraordinary meeting. Kılıçdaroğlu’s reaction to Akşener’s remarks was brief: “Don’t worry, all pieces will fall in place,” media outlets quoted the CHP leader.
3 March
YSK Determines the Number of MPs
The Supreme Election Council (YSK) released updated figures on the number of lawmakers each of the 81 provinces can have. Kocaeli and Sakarya, two northwestern provinces, will elect one more lawmaker based on their population rise, while Tunceli and Bayburt, two small provinces in the east and northeastern Türkiye, saw the number of lawmakers they can elect drop from two each to one.
2 March
The Opposition Block will Announce Their Candidate on March 6
Turkey’s main opposition block, Table of Six, released a statement saying that they reached a common understanding on their presidential candidate for the upcoming elections. Official announcement will be made on Monday, 6th of March.
2 March
The Opposition Alliance will Convene to Determine its Presidential Candidate
Leaders of the six opposition parties, known as “Table of Six”, will convene on March 2 to determine their presidential candidate. However, according to the information received by the Anadolu Agency correspondent, the announcement will be made at another meeting.
1 March
President Erdogan Indicates 14 May as Election Date
President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan has indicated that the presidential and parliamentary elections will be held on May 14 despite the disastrous February 6 earthquakes. Erdogan said “It is our duty to ask the accounts that need to be asked, judicially, administratively, politically. Know well that this nation will do what is necessary on May 14”.
27 February
YSK will Visit the Earthquake Zone to Observe the Conditions for Elections
A delegation from the Supreme Election Council (YSK) is scheduled to visit 11 provinces where the Feb. 6 earthquakes claimed thousands of lives. Their visit comes ahead of a debate over a postponement of the election date and remarks of the Presidential Spokesperson İbrahim Kalın, who stated that the Supreme Election Council (YSK) will decide whether there will be elections in the 10 affected cities.
24 February
Presidential Spokesperson İbrahim Kalın stated that the Supreme Election Council (YSK) will decide when the elections will be held and said, “The President cannot take this decision on his own. Parliament has to make a decision. But at the end of the day, the Supreme Election Council (YSK) will decide whether there will be elections in the 10 affected cities. More than 2 million people left the region. There are technical problems like how they will vote and where will they go.”
23 February
Hande Fırat: High Possibility that the Elections will be held on May 14
Hurriyet Newspaper Ankara Representative Hande Fırat said there is a high possibility that the elections will be held on May 14 following two meetings held with AK Party officials, including President Erdogan.
21 February
MHP Leader Says They Won’t Run Away from the Polls
Nationalist Movement Party (MHP) leader Devlet Bahçeli avoided taking a clear position in election postponement debate and said, “We will neither shy away from participating in the electoral process nor neglect democratic principles.”. He also criticized the opposition parties for speculating over the election date at a time of national crisis.
21 February
2 more Earthquakes hit Southern Türkiye
Two weeks after the deadly earthquake in Southeastern Türkiye, two more earthquakes hit the region with magnitudes 6.4 and 5.8, causing further destruction.
15 February
Opposition Leader Responds to Election Date Rumors
Main opposition Republican People’s Party (CHP) leader Kemal Kılıçdaroğlu stated that the government is trying to postpone the elections by stirring controversy. CHP leader said: “I promise my people. Elections will be held on time. The rule of law, the Constitution, and the institutions formed by these laws should know this very well. The elections can only be postponed during times of war. If YSK demands to postpone, it will demand a coup against democracy.”
15 February
Turkish Bar Association Says YSK Has No Authority to Postpone the Elections
President of the Turkish Bars Association Erinç Sağkan stated that Supreme Election Council (YSK) has no authority to postpone the elections and that Article 78/1 of the Constitution, which states, “If holding new elections is deemed impossible because of war, the Grand National Assembly of Türkiye (TBMM) may decide to defer elections for a year” is not open to interpretation. Sağkan underlined that the YSK is only in charge of carrying out the security measures and can not demand to postpone elections.
7 February
State of Emergency Declared for the Earthquake Zone
President Tayyip Erdogan declared a three-month state of emergency across Turkey’s 10 southern provinces hit by the earthquakes, and called it a disaster zone in a move meant to bolster rescue efforts.
6 February
Deadly Earthquakes Hit Southern Turkey
Two consecutive earthquakes reaching a magnitude of 7,7 took place in the Kahramanmaraş province, which impacted a widespread area inhabited by over 13 million people. Currently, the death toll surpasses 40k.
30 January
The Opposition Reveals Election Manifesto
Table of Six declared its election program at a meeting, a few months shy of the Turkish elections. The “joint policies agreement text” signed by the parties’ leaders promises reforms and landmark changes to everything from education to the judiciary. The road map includes a change in the presidential term, limiting it to one term for seven years and the abolition of the Board of Judges and Prosecutors (HSK), excluding the justice minister from the process of assignment of judges and prosecutors. The bloc has also pledged to decrease the vote threshold to 3% for political parties to secure seats in Parliament.
27 January
Justice and Development Party’s (AK Party) Deputy Chair Numan Kurtulmuş stated that there is no legal gap or confusion about President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan’s candidacy in the upcoming presidential election.
26 January
The leaders of the Table of Six made a joint statement, declaring that it is not legal for President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan to run for Presidency in an election to be held on May 14 unless there is a Parliament (TBMM) decision. Nevertheless, the alliance announced that they are ready for the elections.
26 January
The Constitutional Court of Türkiye (AYM) has rejected an appeal by the People’s Democratic Party (HDP) to adjourn the ban against it until after elections in May.
23 January
– Hürriyet columnist Abdulkadir Selvi alleged that İYİ Party Chairman Meral Akşener told Mayor İmamoğlu to make his preparations for the presidency.
– Ankara’s Mayor Mansur Yavaş has openly thrown his support behind the main opposition Republican People’s Party (CHP) leader Kemal Kılıçdaroğlu.
– A member of the Table of Six and the Democratic Party Chairman, Gültekin Uysal stated that he believes CHP leader Kemal Kılıçdaroğlu is the candidate to win the presidential election.
20 January
Istanbul Mayor Ekrem İmamoğlu has launched an Anatolia tour, visiting 15 cities and attending the opening ceremonies of various projects. This tour has been interpreted by many as indicative of preparations for an upcoming election.
18 January
President Erdogan Hints at May 14 for Elections
One day after the MHP leader’s call to hold the elections earlier than scheduled, President Erdogan mentioned that the 2023 elections will be held on May 14, a symbolic date which refers to the 73rd anniversary of an election when the leader of Democrat Paty and the prime minister Adnan Menderes prevailed against the Republican People’s Party (CHP), which is again Turkey’s biggest opposition party.
9 January
Washington Post – The World’s Most Important Election in 2023 Will Be in Turkey
The Washington Post placed the upcoming elections as the world’s most important election in 2023, stating that the outcome of the elections will shape geopolitical and economic calculations in Washington and Moscow, as well as capitals across Europe, the Middle East, Central Asia, and Africa.
7 January
Co-Chairman of the Peoples’ Democratic Party (HDP) Pervin Buldan stated that HDP will go to the elections with their own candidate and will soon share the party’s candidate with the public.
6 January
A member of the Table of Six and the leader of the Future Party, Ahmet Davutoğlu, stated that every member of the Table of Six would have equal authority to elected-President to sign on every strategic decision. Prominent AK Party figures and some opposition groups criticized Davutoğlu’s remarks. AK Party Deputy Chairman Hamza Dağ argued that the opposition dreams of an anti-democratic oligarchic system where “the President, who received more than 50% of the vote, will be under the command of the party leaders who received 0.1 votes.”
5 January
High Court Blocks HDP’s Bank Accounts
Constitutional Court ruled to temporarily freeze the bank accounts of the People’s Democracy Party (HDP) over charges that the party has been misusing treasury grants to fund terrorist activities.
5 January
Table of Six Meeting
Leaders of Türkiye’s six opposition parties met for the tenth time, saying that they will start discussing who will be their joint presidential candidate for the upcoming elections against Erdoğan. They also said they will not support any snap election after April 6, as the new election system will be applied after that point, which was regarded to function in favor of the ruling AKP.
4 January
Türkiye Raises Wages of Civil Servants by 30%
President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan revised upward the increase in wages for active and retired civil servants to 30% for the first half of 2023.
3 January
Inflation Slows to 64% in December 2022
The Turkish Statistical Institute (TurkStat) announced that consumer prices for the year rose by 64.27% in December, down from 84.39% reported in November. Meanwhile, the Inflation Research Group (ENAG), made up of independent academics and experts, claims that Türkiye’s actual inflation rate for December is 135.55%.
2 January
Signs of Early Elections
AK Party spokesperson Ömer Çelik said they are considering a “slight change” on the elections scheduled for mid-June, arguing that the date corresponds with the summer holiday when people are traveling.
28 December
Türkiye Drops Retirement Age Requirement
President Erdoğan eliminated the retirement age requirement (EYT) in a move that allows more than 2.2 million workers to retire immediately, less than six months before an election. Labour groups had been protesting the minimum age requirement for several years, arguing that workers should just be required to complete the mandatory number of workdays to retire.
14 December
Turkish Court Sentences Imamoglu
Turkish court has sentenced Istanbul Mayor Ekrem İmamoğlu to two years, seven months, and 15 days in prison for calling members of Türkiye’s supreme election council “fools” in a press release three years ago. İmamoğlu did not attend any trial hearings or the sentencing and is expected to appeal against the ruling.