At the same time, his critics do not believe that he is telling the truth, and remind him that he has already resorted to this trick.

Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan has called the upcoming local elections, scheduled for March 31, “his last.”

As Anadolu Agency noted, although Erdogan does not directly participate in the elections, his Justice and Development Party is fighting for power. The most serious struggle will unfold for the position of mayor of the country’s capital, Ankara, and the largest city, Istanbul. Currently, these positions are occupied by representatives of the opposition.

Turkish journalist Ragip Soylu believes that Erdogan’s statement about leaving politics should not be taken seriously. “With this statement, Erdogan is stirring up emotions in order to win more cities in the mayoral race,” Soylu opined.

The next presidential elections in the country will be held in 2028. Soylu believes that until then Erdogan “may change his mind several more times or try to change the constitution.”

Erdogan’s reign

Previously, Erdogan had already called on Turkish citizens to “support him one last time” in the presidential elections last May. Although, according to the Turkish constitution, one person can rule only two terms as president, and for Erdogan, victory in the elections in May 2023 became the third.

The top electoral body rejected the opposition’s complaints in this regard.

Erdogan’s Freedom and Justice Party has held power in Turkey for more than 20 years.