Turkey's President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan unofficially kicked off his re-election campaign on Saturday, vowing to defeat the oppositions in "historic" snap elections that he has called for June.
Although yet to formally declare his candidacy, Erdoğan held what was effectively his first campaign rally in the coastal city of Izmir, the stronghold of the secular CHP opposition party.
He promised thousands of flag-waving supporters victory in the presidential and parliamentary polls and declared the leader of the CHP, Kemal Kılıçdaroğllu, a dictator.
"I believe we will make a political history on June 24 with record votes both on parliamentary and presidential elections," Erdoğan said.
Erdoğan last week called the elections more than a year earlier than scheduled as he said Turkey needed a more powerful presidency to confront economic challenges and the war in Syria.
To win in the first round, a candidate needs more than 50 percent of the votes. If the second round of elections needs to happen, it would be held on July 8.
The sudden election announcement surprised opposition parties, leaving them yet to nominate presidential candidates.
Erdoğan's most credible challenge is seen coming from Meral Akşener, a former interior minister who last year founded the nationalist Iyi (Good) Party and has said she would run.
The CHP said its head is unlikely to run because it believes the president should not be a political party leader.
The another opposition party HDP said jailed former co-leader Selahattin Demirtaş will most likely to be its candidate.
Former president Abdullah Gul, one of the founding members of the AK Party, said he would not be a candidate, ending weeks of speculation.
Erdoğan has won nearly a dozen elections and dominated Turkish politics since the AK party swept to power in 2002.
Erdoğan remains Turkey's most popular politician, admired by millions for championing the Muslim working classes and delivering airports, hospitals and schools and strong economic growth.
