Planned early elections in Turkey to foil 'dirty calculations'

Deputy Prime Minister Bekir Bozdag on Thursday said the planned early elections in Turkey is a step to foil "dirty calculations".

Speaking to the Anadolu Agency’s Editors’ Desk in capital Ankara, Bozdag said: "To move the elections to an earlier time foils the step of those who have made dirty calculations against Turkey.

"The new system of government will be implemented through the will of people on June 24."

The deputy premier said Turks will open a "new period" on June 24 through the planned early elections.

“We decided to move the elections to an earlier date to prevent Turkey from getting harmed,” he said, adding that this would also end debates about the elections in the country.

“The scenario in Turkey will be written by Turkish people, not by others anymore; everyone will be liable to the scenario written by the people.”

Bozdag also said President Recep Tayyip Erdogan will be a candidate of the ruling Justice and Development (AK) Party, opposition Nationalist Movement Party (MHP) and the people during planned early elections.

He called on main opposition Republican People's Party (CHP) leader Kemal Kilicdaroglu to contest the elections.

 Positive effect on market 

Bozdag predicted the elections would have a “positive” effect on the markets. 

“Yesterday’s reaction of the market [to the early elections decision] also clearly shows this positive effect.

"All uncertainties regarding the future have been removed,” he said. 

Turkey's benchmark stock index surged by 3.08 percent to close at 112,099.01 points on Wednesday with around 10.5 billion Turkish lira ($2.6 billion) trade volume.

The Borsa Istanbul's BIST 100 index ended the day with a 3,354.22-point hike from Tuesday's close of 108,744.79 points, while it opened the midweek trading day at 108,618.32 points with a 0.12 percent down.

His remarks came a day after Erdogan announced that early presidential and parliamentary elections were being planned in Turkey on June 24.

The announcement came after opposition Nationalist Movement Party (MHP) head Devlet Bahceli Tuesday called for early elections.

On April 16, 2017, Turkey held a referendum during which the majority of voters pronounced themselves in favor of an 18-article bill switching a parliamentary system into a presidential one.