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Turkish opposition parties object Erdogan's third term presidential candidacy

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BNN Correspondents
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Turkish Justice Minister Bekir Bozdag has confirmed that the country's President, Recep Tayyip Erdogan, is eligible for a third term presidency, despite objections from opposition parties. Bozdag stated that Erdogan's candidacy is his constitutional right and that there are no legal or constitutional obstacles preventing him from practicing this right.

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However, opposition parties, Homeland (Memleket) and Turkey's Workers' Party (TIP), have appealed to the country's higher council of elections against Erdogan's candidacy. They argue that the president cannot run for a third term since the Turkish constitution states that an individual can be elected for a maximum of two terms of presidency.

Erdogan's Justice and Development Party (AKP) has argued that he is eligible for a third run, claiming that the Article in the constitution does not specifically apply in this situation. Meanwhile, Erdogan announced that his current cabinet ministers will run for the parliament, in a bid to avoid the repetition of the same ministers from his two previous terms, adding that the upcoming cabinet will include new names if he were to win in May.

The Turkish presidential and parliamentary elections are set to take place on May 14, a month prior to its originally scheduled date of June 18. Erdogan will be challenged for the presidency by the leader of the Republican People's Party (CHP) Kemal Kilicdaroglu, Memleket leader Muharrem Ince, and Sinan Ogan, candidate of the ultranationalist Ancestral Alliance (ATA). Kilicdaroglu, viewed as the strongest opponent, takes on Erdogan at a time when the president's popularity is at its lowest, according to poll centers. Kilicdaroglu and his allies at the Nation Alliance have vowed to abolish the presidency system and restore the parliamentary system if they emerge victorious from the elections.

In conclusion, the issue of Erdogan's third term presidency has caused controversy in Turkey, with opposition parties objecting to his candidacy. The upcoming presidential and parliamentary elections are set to be highly contested, with Erdogan facing strong opposition from Kilicdaroglu and his allies. The outcome of the elections will have significant implications for Turkey's political future.

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