Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan was forced to answer questions regarding the choice of a new president. Turkish President Ahmet Necdet Sezer has called for early elections in April, a month before his mandate expires, the Turkish daily Milliyet reported. In response, Erdogan said, “The present parliament will hold presidential elections at the appointed time.” Erdogan answered journalists as he arrived to the headquarters of his ruling Justice and Development Party (AKP). When journalists recalled that some newspapers had published stories saying that the presidential elections would be held by a “newly-elected parliament,” Erdogan said that the current article of the constitution regarding the timing of presidential elections was very obvious.
One of the journalists asked him, “The president has made a statement where he emphasized the importance of holding early elections in April, what would you say about that?”
Erdogan asked him where the statement had been made and said, “I haven’t heard anything; unless I hear it directly from Mr. President, I wouldn’t believe such things. Sorry, but I wouldn’t make an assessment on something I have heard from the press.”