Erdogan confirms Turkey to hold elections on May 14

Ankara, March 2 (IANS) Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan announced that his government plans to hold the presidential and parliamentary elections on May 14, as the country is still recovering from two devastating earthquakes that struck the country and neighbouring Syria on February 6.

“The time is coming. This nation will do what is necessary on May 14. No credit will be given to those who empty talk,” Erdogan told his party members in Parliament.

The resident had earlier said that the elections were to be held on May 14 in order to avoid the seasonal migrations of voters and the university exams in early summer.

In the wake of the massive earthquakes that killed more than 53,000 people and caused huge property losses in the two nations, Turkey began to discuss whether or not elections scheduled for May or June should be postponed.

The massive earthquakes, centred in southeastern Turkey, affected 10 provinces, which were home to more than 13 million people.

The tremors also destroyed tens of thousands of buildings, leaving tens of thousands of Turks homeless.

More than 11,000 aftershocks have jolted the quake-hit regions since the February 6 tremors, the Disaster and Emergency Management Authority said.

About 2 million people have been evacuated from the quake-hit regions, according to the disaster agency.

–IANS

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