Türkiye (previously known as 'Turkey') is scheduled to have its next presidential election on June 18, 2023. However, President Erdoğan suggested that it may be held on May 14, 2023 instead, which has been confirmed in late January 2023. Erdoğan has been president of Türkiye since 2014, having previously served as Prime Minister. This election is crucial because Erdoğan is aiming to extend his 20-year rule in elections that will decide not just who leads Türkiye but how it is governed, where its economy is headed and what role it may play to ease conflict in Ukraine and the Middle East.
In Türkiye, the President is elected through a two-round system. In order to be elected, a candidate must receive more than 50% of the popular vote. If no candidate receives a majority, a runoff is held between the two most voted-for candidates. The President is limited to two consecutive five-year terms, with the possibility of a third term if snap elections are held with the consent of 60% of MPs or by presidential decree. To run for presidency, a candidate must be at least 40 years old, have completed higher education, and can be put forward by a political party that has won 5% of the vote in the previous parliamentary election or an independent who collects 100,000 signatures.
According to the Wikipedia page of the election, there are four candidates that have declared their intention to run.
| Candidate | Background |
|---|---|
| Recep Tayyip Erdoğan | Incumbent President of Türkiye (2014-present) |
| Cem Uzan | Former leader of the Young Party (GP) |
| Muharrem İnce | Leader of the Homeland Party, candidate for president in 2018 |
| Sinan Oğan | Former member of the parliament from MHP (2011–2015) |
There are also a variety of potential candidates that may run for president but have not yet officially declared so.
| Candidate | Background |
|---|---|
| Kemal Kılıçdaroğlu | Leader of Republican People's Party, leader of the opposition |
| Ahmet Davutoğlu | Leader of the Future Party, 26th Prime Minister of Türkiye (2014-2015) |
| Ali Babacan | Leader of the Democracy and Progress Party, Deputy Prime Minister of Türkiye (2009-2015), |
| Gültekin Uysal | Leader of the Democrat Party |
| Temel Karamollaoğlu | Leader of the Felicity Party, Mayor of Sivas (1989–1995), candidate for president in 2018 |
| Pervin Buldan | Co-leader of the Peoples' Democratic Party, Deputy Speaker of Parliament (2015-2018) |
| Fatih Erbakan | Leader of New Welfare Party |
| Abdullah Gül | 11th President of Türkiye (2007-2014), 24th Prime Minister of Türkiye (2002–2003), |
| Süleyman Soylu | Minister of Interior (2016-present), Minister of Labour and Social Security (2015-2016) |
| Doğu Perinçek | Leader of Patriotic Party, candidate for president in 2018 |
| Tansu Çiller | 22nd Prime Minister of Türkiye (1993–1996) |
| Mustafa Sarıgül | Leader of Party for Change in Turkey, Mayor of Şişli (1999-2014) |
There are also a variety of candidates that have declined to run at some point. However, some of these candidates have been put forth as potential favourites to beat Erdoğan, with some, like Akşener, placing just below Erdoğan in recent polling.
| Candidate | Background |
|---|---|
| Devlet Bahçeli | Leader of Nationalist Movement Party, Deputy Prime Minister (1999-2002) |
| Ekrem İmamoğlu | Mayor of Istanbul (2019–present), Mayor of Beylikdüzü district (2014–2019) |
| Mansur Yavaş | 29th Mayor of Ankara (2019-present), Mayor of Beypazarı district (1999-2009) |
| Meral Akşener | Leader of the Good Party, Minister of Interior (1996-1997), İYİ candidate for president in 2018 |
Polls in late 2022 suggested that Türkiye’s opposition alliance only held a slim lead, though Erdoğan’s party holds the most support of any individual party. One main opposition alliance has not yet put forth a candidate, suggesting that the field of potential candidates will likely shrink significantly over the coming months.