Erdogan Indicates Türkiye Elections to Be Held on May 14

5 November 2022, Indonesia, Nusa Dua: Recep Tayyip Erdogan, President of Türkiye, attends the first working session at the G20 summit. (dpa)
5 November 2022, Indonesia, Nusa Dua: Recep Tayyip Erdogan, President of Türkiye, attends the first working session at the G20 summit. (dpa)
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Erdogan Indicates Türkiye Elections to Be Held on May 14

5 November 2022, Indonesia, Nusa Dua: Recep Tayyip Erdogan, President of Türkiye, attends the first working session at the G20 summit. (dpa)
5 November 2022, Indonesia, Nusa Dua: Recep Tayyip Erdogan, President of Türkiye, attends the first working session at the G20 summit. (dpa)

President Recep Tayyip Erdogan indicated on Wednesday that elections will be held on May 14, sticking to his previous plan for the vote with a date just over three months after a devastating earthquake killed more than 45,000 people in Türkiye.

"This nation will do what is necessary on May 14, God willing," Erdogan said in a speech to lawmakers from his ruling AK Party in parliament.

There had been conflicting signals over the likely timing of the presidential and parliamentary elections since last month's earthquake, with some suggesting they could be postponed until later in the year or could be held as scheduled on June 18.

Before the disaster, Erdogan's popularity had been eroded by the soaring cost of living and a slump in the lira. He has since faced a wave of criticism over his government's response to the deadliest quake in the nation's modern history.

Erdogan, aiming to extend his rule into a third decade, previously said he was bringing the votes forward to May to avoid holidays in June. Polls suggest they would present his biggest electoral challenge yet.

Doubts had been expressed about the ability of election authorities to prepare and make logistical arrangements for the voting of those affected in the quake zone, home to some 14 million people.



France Summons Israeli Ambassador over Diplomatic Incident in Jerusalem

The Palestinian village of Burqa is seen as an Israeli flag is placed in the Jewish West Bank outpost of Homesh, Monday, Jan. 17, 2022. (AP Photo/Ariel Schalit)
The Palestinian village of Burqa is seen as an Israeli flag is placed in the Jewish West Bank outpost of Homesh, Monday, Jan. 17, 2022. (AP Photo/Ariel Schalit)
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France Summons Israeli Ambassador over Diplomatic Incident in Jerusalem

The Palestinian village of Burqa is seen as an Israeli flag is placed in the Jewish West Bank outpost of Homesh, Monday, Jan. 17, 2022. (AP Photo/Ariel Schalit)
The Palestinian village of Burqa is seen as an Israeli flag is placed in the Jewish West Bank outpost of Homesh, Monday, Jan. 17, 2022. (AP Photo/Ariel Schalit)

France's Foreign Ministry summoned Israel's ambassador on Tuesday following an incident involving Israeli security forces during a visit last week by French Foreign Minister Jean-Noël Barrot to Jerusalem.

The French ministry condemned the presence of armed Israeli police at the Eléona, a French-owned site on the Mount of Olives, and the brief detention of two French consulate gendarmes with diplomatic status.

Barrot canceled his scheduled visit to the compound. France has demanded measures to prevent such incidents from reoccurring, The AP reported.

Israeli police portrayed the controversy as a misunderstanding, saying two church workers who declined to identify themselves had refused entry to Israeli security guards accompanying Barrot. Police said they held the men for about 20 minutes and released them once they were identified as employees of the French Consulate in Jerusalem, the protector of French religious communities and four holy sites in the city.

Israeli police said all foreign ministers on official visits are assigned Israeli security guards. It said the logistics of Barrot’s visit were worked out beforehand with the French Embassy in Israel.

The diplomatic rift arose amid heightened security concerns for the France-Israel UEFA Nations League match on Thursday in Paris.

French authorities have announced extensive security measures to safeguard the event following violence against Israeli fans in Amsterdam.