Why did Erdogan decide to send Turkey to early elections?

Turkey's president, Recep Tayip Erdogan, declared the previous elections Wednesday, thus making general elections held 18 months earlier than scheduled. The move came after his nationalist ally, Devlet Bahceli, called for early elections.

The vote will be held on June 24th, which will mark the first time parliamentary and presidential elections will be held under a new system, which will give the new president increased competencies.

The constitutional referendum, held in April 2017, gave the green light for Turkey to make a transformation from the parliamentary system into the presidential system.

Erdogan, who has been in power for more than 15 years, as prime minister or president, has led Turkey's economic transition to a developing market, reports “Al Jazeera”, the Periscope broadcast.

In 2001, a year before becoming prime minister, Turkey's inflation was up 70 per cent. Last year, it was 12 percent.

Political analyst and former adviser to Ahmet Davatogllus, Etain Mahcupyan, said that “economic concern and war in Syria” are some of the factors that led to Turkey in early elections.

Another political analyst, Taha Akyol, said fear of the Iyi Party's potential growth has been a boost to Erdogan's decision to lead the country to early elections.

Akyol also cites that the three opposition parties have extremely opposed programmes, and there are minimal possibilities for an alliance between them.

This is the advantage Erdogan's party has with the MHP party, which is led by Devlet Bahceli.

In the last parliamentary elections held in 2015, Erdogan's AK party had won 317 seats from 550 as there is a total of Turkish parliament, securing 49.5%. Erdogan had also won presidential elections in 2014, with 51.79% in the first round./Periscopi/