ERDOGAN CALLS EARLY ELECTION IN SURPRISE MOVE

ANKARA, TURKEY President Recep Tayyip Erdogan caught Turkey off guard on Wednesday by calling early elections for June, in a move that could cement his grip on power a year ahead of schedule.

Erdogan announced parliamentary and presidential elections, originally scheduled for November 2019, will be held June 24, meaning a new political system that will increase the powers of the president will take effect a year early.

Turkey is switching from a parliamentary system to a presidential one, abolishing the office of the prime minister and decreasing the powers of the parliament, following a narrowly approved referendum last year.

The changes take effect with the next election.

Erdogan would be able to run for two five-year terms on top of his current term.

The strongman, who has ruled Turkey since 2003, spoke of the need for the new system to be implemented quickly to deal with numerous challenges, including Turkey’s fight against Kurdish insurgents in Syria and Iraq.