Turkey's ruling party to evaluate calls for early elections

ANKARA, Turkey – Turkey's deputy prime minister says the ruling party will evaluate a call for early presidential and parliamentary elections.

Bekir Bozdag's statement on Tuesday came shortly after the leader of Turkey's nationalist party, an ally of President Recep Tayyip Erdogan, said the elections scheduled for November 2019 should be brought forward. Nationalist leader Devlet Bahceli suggested Aug. 26, 2018 as a possible date and said that "there is no point in prolonging this any longer."

Erdogan has moved to tighten his grip on politics since a failed coup attempt in 2016.

Following a referendum last year, Turkey is switching from a parliamentary system to a presidential system that consolidates most power in the hands of the president.

The changes will come into effect with the next elections.