President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan has offered clarifications regarding his recent ambiguous comment that he is “not concerned” about running in the next elections. He emphasized that, “just as today, tomorrow we will listen to our nation and chart our course in the direction it shows us.”

When asked by journalists, Erdoğan clarified that the constitutional amendment he is promoting—which would, among other things, allow him to seek another presidential term—is not about his personal candidacy, but a broader project for the benefit of the entire Turkish people.

“What I said is that we are not seeking to create space for ourselves or gain personal benefits through the new constitution.
We want the new constitution not for Tayyip Erdoğan, but for the 86 million citizens. That is our concern.
The opposition constantly accuses us of wanting to pave the way for ourselves with a new constitution.
I must say this is definitely a trap. We are fully aware of our responsibilities regarding Turkey’s future, and we take our steps accordingly,” Erdoğan said.

He continued:

“Our nation made me mayor, prime minister, and president. Wherever our nation has called me, I have gone. I act with the same sense of duty today.
My concern has never been with positions, chairs, or titles. I have only one goal: to provide our beloved nation with the services it deserves and to build a great and strong Turkey.
I have entered every struggle trusting only in our people. Just as today, tomorrow we will once again listen to our nation and follow the path it indicates.”

His statement is widely interpreted as an indication of his desire to remain president beyond 2028.

Last week, his ultranationalist coalition partner and leader of the Nationalist Movement Party (MHP), Devlet Bahçeli, responded in writing to Erdoğan’s previous remark that he’s not preoccupied with running again, stating:

“A president who cares about his country and nation has no right to retreat.
The president has many more services to offer.
It is absurd to try to reverse history.”

Erdoğan thanked Bahçeli for his supportive remarks, saying they were an honor.

“Our alliance is not just for electoral victory. It is a vision for building Turkey’s future.
The foundation of the People’s Alliance is mutual trust, the desire for stability, and a united stance on national issues. That’s how we move forward with strength,” he added.

AKP spokesperson Ömer Çelik has repeatedly made statements in recent months leaving open the possibility of Erdoğan running in the next presidential elections.

Earlier this year, at a local AKP conference in Şanlıurfa, Erdoğan had a brief public exchange with the popular Turkish folk singer İbrahim Tatlıses. Tatlıses asked the president whether he would be “present in the upcoming presidential term,” to which Erdoğan replied, “If you’re there, I’ll be there.”

That moment marked the first public hint by Erdoğan that he intends to run again in the 2028 elections.

Currently, Erdoğan’s People’s Alliance lacks the parliamentary supermajority needed to push through constitutional changes that would legally allow him to run again.

However, the pro-Kurdish Peoples’ Equality and Democracy Party (DEM)—the third-largest party in the Turkish parliament—could support such changes if provided the right incentives.

One such potential incentive might be progress on the Kurdish issue—what Erdoğan calls a “Terror-Free Turkey”—and improved prison conditions for PKK leader Abdullah Öcalan.