Erdogan Denies Plan to Extend Presidency Amid Growing Speculation

President Recep Tayyip Erdogan says he is not trying to change the rules so he can stay in power. His term ends in three years.

Erdogan has led Turkey for 22 years. He was prime minister in 2003. Then he became president in 2014. The law says he cannot run again unless the rules change or if he calls early elections.

Erdogan told reporters, “We want a new constitution for the country, not for me. I do not want to run again.”

But some people still think he wants to stay president after 2028.

In January, a singer asked if he would run again. He replied, “I am, if you are.” The next day, his party said the idea was being talked about. “What matters is what the people want,” a party leader said.

Many Turks still support Erdogan. But polls show he is behind Ekrem Imamoglu, the mayor of Istanbul. Imamoglu was arrested in March for alleged corruption. He says he is innocent.

Many think his arrest was political. Big protests broke out across Turkey. Since his arrest, more people have started to support him.

The government blocked Imamoglu’s posts on social media in Turkey. Police have arrested at least 18 people from the city’s government. One of them is the head of public relations, Taner Cetin.

Other countries have spoken out against the arrest. But Erdogan has not faced much criticism. Many Western leaders see him as an important NATO ally.

On Wednesday, Erdogan said the current constitution is not fair. He said it was written after a 1980 army coup. It has been changed since then, but he thinks it is outdated.

“Can a country move forward with a law made after a coup?” he asked.

The law allows only two five-year terms for a president. Erdogan is in his third. But he says his first term does not count. That was before Turkey changed from a parliamentary system to a presidential one in 2017.

That change gave Erdogan more power. But it still says only two terms are allowed.

To change the law again, he needs 360 votes in the 600-seat parliament. Right now, he has 321. If he gets 400 votes, the change could happen right away.

Erdogan has also taken steps to make peace with the Kurdish rebel group, the PKK. Some believe he is doing this to win support from Kurdish lawmakers.

He said the PKK should stop fighting. That way, the pro-Kurdish DEM party could grow stronger.

The DEM party has 56 MPs. With their help, Erdogan might get the votes he needs to change the constitution.

But the deputy leader of the opposition party CHP, Ali Mahir Basarir, said Erdogan has no way to run again. He said Erdogan made the rules himself and now must follow them. He also said Erdogan is not calling early elections either.