President Tayyip Erdogan's government is inclined to hold Turkey's elections as scheduled in June, having cooled on the idea of postponing due to this month's devastating earthquake, three officials told Reuters on Wednesday.
He said a shadow was cast over the idea of a postponement by the perception that the government was avoiding elections, by the opposition's negative response to the proposal, and by legal issues relating to the constitution.
He and the other officials were speaking anonymously as they were not authorised to speak publicly on the issue. The presidency and Erdogan's ruling AK Party did not immediately respond to a request for comment on the timing of the election. Before the disaster, Erdogan's popularity had been eroded by the soaring cost of living and a slump in the lira. He has since faced a wave of criticism over his government's response to the deadliest quake in the nation's modern history.and banned layoffs in 10 cities on Wednesday to protect workers and businesses from the financial impact of the earthquake.
The government official said a May election, as Erdogan previously planned, would leave little time for election authorities to prepare and make logistical arrangements for the voting of those affected in the quake zone, home to some 13 million people."Erdogan and Bahceli will discuss the issue and make a final decision, but at the moment it seems that May 14 is too early and both leaders will say OK to June 18," he said.
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