Turkey's Erdogan signals May 14 date for his biggest election test

Turkish President Tayyip Erdogan addresses lawmakers of his AK Party during a meeting at the parliament in Ankara, Turkey January 18, 2023. Presidential Press Office/Handout via REUTERS

ANKARA (Reuters) - President Tayyip Erdogan signalled on Wednesday that Turkey would hold elections on May 14, a month earlier than he had earlier flagged, setting the clock ticking on perhaps the most consequential vote in the century-long history of the republic.

Polls show the parliamentary and presidential elections will be tight, and they mark Erdogan's biggest test in his two decades at the reins of the regional military power, important NATO member and major emerging market economy.