Recep Tayyip Erdoğan, Turkey’s president since 2014 and in power since 2003, faces a scheduled presidential election by May 2028 under constitutional term limits. Recent statements from his chief adviser Mehmet Uçum indicate plans for an early April 2028 vote to activate a provision allowing one additional term, requiring 360 parliamentary votes that the ruling AKP-MHP alliance currently lacks. Nationalist Movement Party leader Devlet Bahçeli publicly urged Erdoğan’s candidacy in October 2026, while the president has previously described 2028 as his final contest. Domestic developments include opposition challenges, municipal defections to the AKP, and regional diplomacy, all of which shape trader views on whether Erdoğan remains in office past the next election cycle or exits earlier due to political or procedural shifts.