Will Erdogan be Turkey's president for a fourth term?

(Patria) - Paving the way for Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan to run for a fourth term is "on our agenda," the spokesman for the president's ruling party said on Monday, adding that an important factor is whether the people want it, Reuters reported.

Erdogan, Turkey's longest-serving leader in modern times, has been in power for more than two decades, first as prime minister and then as president. According to presidential term limits, he is in his final term unless there are constitutional amendments or the parliament calls for early elections.

He was first elected president in 2014 under a parliamentary system, and was later re-elected in 2018 and 2023 following some constitutional amendments by his ruling AK Party (AKP) and their nationalist allies from the MHP.

When asked by journalists about a conversation held over the weekend in which Erdogan, when asked about running for a new term, replied: "I am for it if you are too," AKP spokesman Omer Celik said that the AKP is pleased that the issue has been put on the agenda.

"We who march with our president, it is on our agenda," he said at a press conference in Ankara.

"We will see about the formula. In politics, one year is a very short time, one day is very long. What is important is that our people want it," he added.

"When we look at the events happening around us, it is evident on every occasion how important our president's knowledge and political will are for our country," Celik said.

In November, MHP leader Devlet Bahceli put forward the idea of a constitutional amendment that would allow the president to run again in the elections scheduled for 2028.

A constitutional change can be put to a referendum if supported by 360 deputies in the 600-seat parliament. Early elections require the support of 360 deputies. The AKP and its allies have 321.