President Recep Tayyip Erdogan looks set to ask voters to extend his time as Turkey’s leader to more than a quarter of a century.

On September 17, AFP reported Turkish media outlets as citing a top adviser to 72-year-old Erdogan as saying Turkey’s authoritarian leader of 23 years will run for office once more in an early election likely to be held in April 2028.

The statement amounted to the first official confirmation that Erdogan – whose chief political rival Ekrem Imamoglu, who would be widely expected to oust Erdogan should he be allowed to run for the presidency, remains in jail and on trial on multiple charges – will again stand for re-election.

"If 360 lawmakers back a decision to call a new election, it will be held on April 16, 2028," the president's chief adviser Mehmet Ucum said in remarks reported by private NTV broadcaster and Cumhuriyet newspaper. 

In June, IntelliNews reported on how an article by Ucum, entitled "Another look at the snap election debate," pointed to that date as possibly the most suitable day for an early election.

On the statutory election calendar, the election is currently scheduled for May 2028, but by shifting the poll forward by one month, Erdogan would be able to sidestep a constitutional provision restricting a president to no more than two five-year terms in office.

Prior to becoming president, Erdogan served as prime minister. That post was abolished when in 2018, Turkey switched to an executive presidential system following a constitutional referendum.

Under the constitution, parliament can declare an early election if the move is backed by 360 of the chamber's 600 lawmakers.

Erdogan's AKP and nationalist junior ruling coalition partner MHP hold 326 seats in the legislature. To trigger an election, they would have to seek the support of at least 34 lawmakers outside the coalition.

In June, IntelliNews reported on how analysts were declaring the "death" of Turkey's opposition in the wake of a "coup" orchestrated to dismantle the Republican People's Party (CHP).