wo columnists writing in pro-government Turkish newspapers said Turkish President Tayyip Erdogan was inclined to hold elections on May 14 after massive earthquakes rocked the country, killing more than 38,000 people.
“In the AKP, all options are on the table [regarding the elections] but at the moment there is neither a decision nor the intention to postpone it. I can say that President Erdogan is in favor of holding the elections on May 14, while some other party figures defend to hold the elections on June 18,” Hurriyet columnist Hande Firat wrote.
She added:
“President Erdogan is not worried about the election. The Supreme Election Committtee will carry out work to ensure that those who have moved from the earthquake area can vote or where the people who remain in the earthquake area will vote.”
Bulent Arinc, a co-founder of the ruling Justice and Development Party (AKP), started a debate when he said that the elections should be postponed because of the earthquake.
The experienced pro-government journalist Mehmet Barlas also advocated holding the elections on time.
“AKP members should take Arinc’s call with great caution. He would never have made such a call if he thought it would be in favor of the ruling bloc. If Arinc says “postpone,” it would be best to do the opposite,” he said.
Source: Gerçek News
