The founder and leader of the Justice and Development Party (AKP), Erdoğan has been Turkey’s president since 2014 following a decade as the country’s prime minister.
Erdoğan said that the outcome of the local election will have a significant impact on his plans for political succession. “The result that comes out of this election will be a transfer of a legacy to the brothers who will come after me,” Erdoğan said. “That’s why we made the necessary preparations.”
Erdogan was re-elected for a second five-year term in a divisive election in May 2023.