Türkiye is scheduled to hold presidential and parliamentary elections probably in the second week of June, but most people, including incumbent President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan, support the idea of rescheduling the polls for an earlier date. Devlet Bahçeli, head of the Nationalist Movement Party (MHP), a staunch ally of the government, voiced the same sentiment as he addressed the parliamentary group of his party on Tuesday. "Let’s finish this in May," said Bahçeli, pointing out the likely problems associated with June.

With the current schedule, elections will likely clash with the date of a crucial university admission examination and will be held when millions start to head to their hometowns after the start of summer vacation.

Bahçeli said it was necessary to end the debate over the election date and agree on a date that would not affect people’s routines. "This is not a call for early elections. This is just an update of the election date," Bahçeli emphasized. The opposition, which formed a six-party alliance against the Justice and Development Party (AK Party) and MHP alliance, also insists on early elections, possibly in April.

The MHP leader said they were "fully ready" for elections as a party. "It is of no use to fear elections, to avoid accepting the nation’s will. It is our duty to turn these elections into a feast. If the opposition has nothing to fear, they should consent to an election in May. Let’s carry Türkiye into elections by debating, talking and agreeing upon things," he said.

Earlier this month, President Erdoğan weighed in on the ongoing debate for a possible change in the poll date and told reporters that whatever the public debate is, it would certainly be on the Presidency’s agenda.

"We are steered by what the public talks about," he said, but they would wait until "the water is still," he added, referring to a saying about ideas that cannot be implemented before a proper argument or debate. The AK Party and MHP are partners under the People's Alliance, with Erdoğan serving as the alliance's candidate for the upcoming presidential elections.

Snap polls have been the main agenda for opposition parties, which created the "table for six" alliance. The opposition insists on having elections before the implementation of the election and political party law adopted on April 6, 2022, which, under the Constitution, could affect the next scheduled election, a year after it came into effect. The law reforms elections by increasing the vote threshold for parties by having their lawmakers directly elected into Parliament, something that would affect smaller parties.

Currently, there are two possibilities for elections in case of a change in the June schedule, including the president’s dissolution of Parliament or 360 lawmakers voting for elections. Bahçeli said the MHP was ready to accept both possibilities. "If Parliament makes a decision, it won’t be for early elections but rather for an update on an existing date and this is the most legitimate way (to hold polls). Everyone should see that stirring up crises and polarization have no place in politics," he said.

Erdoğan, who carried the ruling AK Party to victory more than two decades ago and led successive wins since then, appears to be the clear favorite in some preelection surveys, ahead of the CHP, the strongest rival of the AK Party, which defeated the main opposition easily in all general elections since the early 2000s. The 2023 elections, however, might be the first time with two rounds as it will be the first since the country switched to a presidential system of government. A two-round election may result in three possibilities according to experts: The People’s Alliance securing the parliamentary majority, the opposition bloc securing it, or a failure of both sides to secure the majority for proper governance. Though the "table for six" has shied away from announcing a jointly endorsed candidate so far, they are like-minded in their commitment to remove the system of presidential government if they come to power.

Bahçeli said the opposition should not be an obstacle for a reasonable date, "if they did not give up on the election (win)." He added, "The MHP and People’s Alliance have the democratic patience and contribution to maintain an election environment fit for the centenary of the republic." Bahçeli said his party is completely prepared for elections. "We are united with our nation to defeat this wall of shame," he said, referring to opposition parties, underlining that their election campaign has already started.

Hamza Dağ, deputy chair of the AK Party, said Tuesday that any election in 2023 would not be "an early election and the opposition knows that."

"A change in election date will simply be an update," he told NTV. Dağ said his party was discussing the change based on conflicting dates with the start of the summer holiday for students, university exams, and the Muslim pilgrimage of hajj. He added that under the current circumstances, Parliament’s unanimous approval for a date change was unlikely, stressing that the president can announce the change, noting that it would be the first time the president makes such a decision under a new presidential system. "It is constitutional," he highlighted.

It has been nearly five years since Türkiye switched from a parliamentary system to the current presidential system after the majority of Turkish voters opted for the new system. Turkish voters narrowly endorsed an executive presidency on April 16, 2017, with a referendum of 51.4% votes in favor. The official transition to the new system took place when Erdoğan was sworn in as the president in Parliament after the 2018 general elections, which he won by a majority of 52.6% vote share. One of the main promises of the opposition bloc, formed by the Republican People’s Party (CHP), the Felicity Party (SP), the Good Party (IP), Future Party (GP), Democrat Party (DP) and the Democracy and Progress Party (DEVA), is a return to a "Strong Parliamentary System" if elected. The proposed system also limits the president to a single seven-year term, requires him/her to sever ties with political parties and prohibits him/her from joining a political party after serving a term.