President Recep Tayyip Erdogan ruled out any election postponement on Wednesday following the devastating earthquake that struck Turkey in February and announced that the vote would take place on May 14.
“(Turkish) people will do what is necessary on May 14,” he told his ruling party lawmakers in the parliament in Ankara.
The Turkish president had previously suggested holding the crucial vote, which could extend the rule of his Islamic-based government through 2028, on May 14.
But after the massive quake that killed more than 45,000 people in Turkey, there had been suspicion whether that vote could go ahead as planned.
Erdogan has declared a three-month state of emergency across 11 quake-hit provinces. The region is still suffering from strong tremors, making the likelihood of campaigning in the area extremely unlikely.