Turkey Elections To Hold May 14 After Devastating Earthquake

Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan has announced that the national elections will hold on May 14 after the devastating earthquake that claimed the lives of over 40,000 people.

“This nation will do what is necessary on May 14, God willing,” Erdogan made this known in a speech to parliamentarians from his AK Party in parliament on Wednesday.

The Turkish leader previously proposed holding the crunch election on May 14 that could keep his Islamic-rooted government in power until 2028.

But after the massive quake that killed more than 45,000 people in Turkey, there had been suspicion whether that vote could go ahead as planned.

Erdogan has declared a three-month state of emergency across 11 quake-hit provinces. The region is still suffering from strong tremors, making the likelihood of campaigning in the area extremely unlikely.