Postponement of presidential elections not likely on Ankara's agenda

Turkish President Tayyip Erdogan's government is inclined to hold Turkey's elections as scheduled in June, having cooled on the idea of postponing due to this month's devastating earthquake, three officials told Reuters on February 22.

Last month Erdogan, aiming to extend his rule into a third decade, said he was bringing the presidential and parliamentary votes forward to May to avoid holidays in June.

Polls suggest they would present his biggest electoral challenge yet.

Days after the quake struck on February 6, killing more than 43,000 people in Türkiye, an official said it posed "serious difficulties" for holding elections on time.

Now those close to the president say the government has turned against the idea of a postponement.

"It is very likely that an agreement will be reached on holding the election on June 18," a government official said, adding that Erdogan and his nationalist ally Devlet Bahceli would meet to reach a final decision.

He said a shadow was cast over the idea of a postponement by the perception that the government was avoiding elections, by the opposition's negative response to the proposal, and by legal issues relating to the constitution.