Turkish authorities do not plan to postpone presidential elections due to earthquakes. On Saturday, February 18, reports the Turkish TV channel Haberturk citing sources in the Justice and Development Party and the National Unity Party (PNU).

It is noted that this was confirmed by Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan at a meeting with GNU leader Devlet Bahceli.

According to the channel, the authorities are in favor of holding elections on May 14.

On February 16, Habertürk newspaper columnist Fatih Aytayli admitted that the Turkish presidential elections could be postponed due to earthquakes. According to the journalist, the presidential race may be postponed for at least six months or even a year.

At the same time, a member of the Republican People’s Party (CHP) in Turkey, Kemal Kılıçdaroğlu, said on February 15 that elections will be held on time because the government has no right to transfer them. He pointed out that, according to Art. 78 and Art. 101 of the Constitution of the country, presidential elections can be postponed only in case of war. At the same time, a natural disaster is not considered a good reason to postpone election events.

Earthquakes of magnitude 7.7 and 7.6 occurred on February 6 in the province of Kahramanmarash in southeastern Turkey near the border with Syria. The latest figures put the death toll in Turkey at 40,642.

In turn, Erdogan said that the search and rescue operation after the earthquakes in Turkey will last until the last survivor is removed from the rubble.