Turkey is discussing the possibility that the son of current President Recep Tayyip Erdogan could succeed him, Bloomberg sources reported.
The topic of the transition of power in Turkey is increasingly being discussed behind closed doors among members of the ruling Justice and Development Party, people familiar with the matter said.
According to Turkish law, Recep Tayyip Erdogan is required to leave office in 2028. Erdogan would be eligible to run again if parliament calls early elections before the end of his current term or if the constitution is amended to allow him to run again in a little more than two years.
However, his family and the party leadership are interested in Erdogan remaining in power for another five years after his term ends, sources reported. to pave the way for a gradual transfer of power to his son.
Bloomberg describes the domestic political and international environment as “favorable“ for such a transition of power, although it is not guaranteed.
Erdogan has led the country since 2014, having previously served as prime minister since 2003. He won the 2023 election with 52.18% of the vote in the second round.
The presidential term in Turkey is five years, and the head of state can hold office for no more than two consecutive terms. Early elections are an exception. In 2018, Erdogan won such an election, allowing him to run for re-election in 2023.
The next presidential election in Turkey is scheduled for 2028.
Selçuk Bayraktar, co-owner, chairman and CTO of drone manufacturer Baykar and son-in-law of the Turkish president, has previously been mentioned as another possible successor to Erdogan. The Wall Street Journal named him one of the most popular public figures in Turkey in 2024, and experts consider him a contender for the presidency.
The Economist, for its part, named four candidates to succeed Erdogan. In addition to Bilal Erdoğan and Selçuk Bayraktar, Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan and former Foreign Minister Süleyman Soylu were also named.
Erdoğan's main political rival, Istanbul Mayor Ekrem İmamoğlu, was sentenced in the summer of 2025 to one year and eight months in prison for “publicly insulting an official in connection with the performance of his official duties“. He was detained in March, which led to mass protests across the country. İmamoğlu himself considered the persecution to be a political arrest.