Our People Will Do What Is Required: Erdogan Announces Presidential Election Date in Turkey

Turkey's President Recep Tayyip Erdogan announced during a speech at a meeting of the ruling Justice and Development Party's parliamentary group in Ankara that the presidential and parliamentary elections in Turkey will take place on May 14. TASS reports this news.

On May 14, our people will do what is required and will vote in the elections,” Erdogan stated.

It was previously mentioned that the elections could be postponed due to the devastating earthquakes that occurred in the country in February.

During his speech, the Turkish president also noted that there have been over 11,400 aftershocks in Turkey since the tremors on February 6, according to the Anadolu Agency. The natural disaster has directly impacted 14 million citizens in Turkey. Weather conditions have also worsened the situation.

Approximately 35,000 specialists have participated in search and rescue operations from Turkey and other countries, with a total of 271,000 people engaged in the disaster zone.

Additionally, Erdogan announced that about 2.5 million residents in the affected provinces are receiving three hot meals a day. He mentioned that large-scale reconstruction of neighborhoods will begin in the near future, with plans to build over 468,000 houses. Construction of 21,000 houses will start soon.

The Turkish leader also announced the establishment of a disaster recovery fund. Moreover, the Turkish government intends to develop a disaster response model called the “Turkey National Risk Shield.” The authorities will continue to take measures to stimulate the economy of the areas affected by the disaster.