Turkey’s Erdogan announces elections for May 14

President Recep Tayyip Erdogan has announced that Turkey’s elections will be held on May 14 — a month earlier than scheduled — according to a video shared by his office Sunday.

“This is not an early election but bringing it forward,” Erdogan said in a video from his meeting with young people in Bursa this weekend, shared by the presidency.

Erdogan said he would use his authority to go for elections on May 14 — an adjustment he said was decided considering school exams.

This will be the most challenging election for the Turkish strongman who has been in power for two decades shaping the predominantly Muslim but officially secular country’s politics.

The May 14 election date was also supported by opposition alliance still arguing over the choice of a united candidate against the 68-year-old leader.

An opposition party source told AFP this week that their joint candidate would be announced in February.