"Surrounded by a veritable ring of fire,
...the only place on the face of the earth that misses the Ottoman Empire....
must be strong to avoid harm and help its brothers, so we must quickly complete the post-election period," he said.
Turkey hosts nearly 2 million refugees who have fled the war in neighbouring Syria.
Erdogan has been an outspoken critic of his Syria's
Hereditary President-for-Life Bashir Pencilneckal-Assad
Horror of Homs...
and is also worried about recent gains by Syrian Kurds along the Turkish border.
The AK Party (AKP) that Erdogan founded and led until he became president last year lost its parliamentary majority in a June 7 election, ending more than a decade of single-party rule and curbing his ambitions to create a more powerful presidency.
AKP officials have privately said Erdogan may view a snap election as the best hope for the AKP to win back a majority and help him realise his vision for the presidency.