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Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan greets members of his ruling Justice and Development Party, or AKP, at the Grand National Assembly in Ankara earlier this year. Adem Altan/AFP/Getty Images hide caption

Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan greets members of his ruling Justice and Development Party, or AKP, at the Grand National Assembly in Ankara earlier this year.

Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan has called new presidential and parliamentary elections for June 24, more than a year earlier than scheduled. The change announced Wednesday by Erdogan speeds the implementation of the constitutional changes approved last year, which will give the president broad new powers upon completion of the next national election.

Just hours after Erdogan's televised address Wednesday, Turkish lawmakers voted to extend the country's state of emergency through July the seventh such extension since Ankara first implemented it after an attempted coup in July 2016.

Speaking at the presidential palace in Ankara before the parliamentary vote, Erdogan told the country that, with political uncertainty rampant in the region, there was simply no time to lose in scheduling new elections.

"Even though the president and government are working in unison, the diseases of the old system confront us at every step we take," Erdogan said, as translated by The Guardian. "Developments in Syria and elsewhere have made it urgent to switch to the new executive system in order to take steps for our country's future in a stronger way."

Turkey launched a military operation in northwest Syria earlier this year, aimed at dislodging Kurdish fighters from the region just across the Turkish border. Ankara views the People's Protection Units, or YPG, a Kurdish militia operating in that area, as a terrorist group allied with Kurdish separatists inside its own borders and just last month, the Turkish military seized the Syrian city of Afrin from the Kurds.

As NPR's Peter Kenyon noted at the time, Erdogan has been riding a wave of domestic support for the operation, which "has analysts concluding that Erdogan's political support is on the rise."

At the same time, Erdogan said his decision to call the vote came not solely of his own accord, but partly at the suggestion of a political ally: Devlet Baheli, head of the nationalist MHP party, who proposed the idea Tuesday. Baheli said there's little reason to prolong the wait to implement those constitutional changes passed last year, which exchange the country's parliamentary form of government for one that concentrates most of the power with the president.

Erdogan added during his speech that his ruling Justice and Development Party, or AKP, has entered a political alliance with Baheli's party for the coming elections.

Other parties, however, have resisted the proposition at least as long as the nearly 2-year-old state of emergency remains in place.

"There cannot be an election under emergency rule," said Bulent Tezcan, spokesman for the main opposition party, according to Reuters. "The country needs to brought out of the emergency rule regime starting today."

Elections held under the state of emergency are likely to hasten Erdogan's consolidation of power and are unlikely to come as welcome news to the European Union, which Turkey has been seeking to join. Just one day earlier, the European Commission, the EU's executive body, expressed dismay at the recent political developments in Turkey.

"Most worryingly, in the crucial area of fundamental rights, Turkey has taken significant steps backwards," Johannes Hahn, the commissioner considering potential new members, said while introducing a new report on Turkey's EU bid Tuesday.

Conceding that the 2016 coup attempt "fundamentally changed the security situation" in Turkey, Hahn said Ankara's response has been disproportionate.

"Journalists, human rights activists, members of civil society are still being imprisoned," he added. "Since the introduction of the state of emergency, more than 150,000 people have been taken into custody, and many are still detained."

The lengthy report itself made the matter even more plain: "Turkey should lift the state of emergency without delay."

The Turkish Ministry of Foreign Affairs, for its part, rejected the report's conclusions in a lengthy rebuttal, citing its continuing fight against multiple terrorist organizations.

"Unfortunately, the European Commission showed that it was once again unwilling to understand the difficulties of the period we are passing through," the ministry said in its statement. "Although we have explained these issues repeatedly supported by documentation, the Commission was unable to be objective and balanced."

Regardless of the EU's concerns about the state of emergency, Turkish Prime Minister Binali Yildirim announced Wednesday that they are proceeding without delay, according to the state-run Anadolu Agency.

"The process has officially started," he said.

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The last time Erdogan was tested at the ballot box, he secured sweeping new powers in a constitutional referendum last year with just a 51 percent yes vote. That means the country will switch from a parliamentary system to a presidential system that abolishes the office of the prime minister and decreases the powers of the parliament.

Erdogan announced Wednesday that snap elections would be held June 24 more than a year before they were due to occur. The vote hadn't been expected until November 2019.

"The diseases of the old system confront us at every step we take," he said in a speech broadcast live on television.

Some analysts believe the close referendum result suggests even a relative small number of votes could decide Erdogans future as an ailing economy and increasing divisions within the country's nationalist movement potentially threaten his grip on power.

In 2015, there were about 90,000 eligible Turkish voters in the U.S., Turkey's Hurriyet Daily News reported, and about 1.4 million in Germany.

Harun Armagan, the deputy chairman of AKPs human rights committee, told NBC News that the overseas outreach was aimed at spelling out "what weve done and what we will be doing."

However, party officials were tight-lipped about which cities the offices would be located in and when they would open.

Previous attempts to influence Turkish citizens now living abroad led to controversy in other Western countries.

In the lead up to last year's referendum vote, Germany and the Netherlands banned some rallies and visits from Turkish officials, citing security concerns. Erdogan called the moves Nazi-like.

Aykan Erdemir, a senior fellow at the Washington-based Foundation for Defense of Democracies and a former lawmaker with Turkeys CHP opposition party, said the new offices would provide Erdogan with "an opportunity to reach out directly" to Turkish citizens living abroad.

"Every vote counts, it might be a close second round in the presidential election," he added.

Erdemir said that simmering tensions between Washington and Ankara likely also played a role in the decision to set up an office in the U.S.

"The AKP has been suffering from an image problem in the U.S, he said. Probably the primary aim is to reach the U.S. government and U.S. policymakers."

Turkeys reputation suffered a major blow on U.S. soil when security officials fought protesters in Washington during Erdogan's visit to see President Donald Trump last May. A dozen members of Erdogan's security detail nine security officers and three police officers were charged with taking part in the melee while the Turkish leader looked on.

U.S. prosecutors recently dismissed criminal charges against 11 of Erdogan's bodyguards stemming from the Washington brawl.

In September, a protester was punched by Turkish security while being physically forced from the room during a speech by Erdogan at a New York hotel.

Tensions between the two NATO allies have increased further because of differences over military operations in Syria, where Turkish troops recently launched a military offensive against the U.S.-backed Kurdish militia, the YPG.

Ankara says the YPG is linked to the Kurdish Workers Party, a militant group in Turkey that both Ankara and Washington recognize as a terrorist organization.

U.S. support for Kurdish fighters, which Turkey views as a threat to its national security, had already helped sour relations between the two countries.

Erdogan's international standing has also been weakened by a purge of opponents that followed a failed 2016 coup.

The Turkish leader blames cleric Fethullah Gulen, who lives in self-imposed exile in Pennsylania, for masterminding the bid to topple him. Gulen denies that allegation.

Erdogan demanded the extradition of Gulen but Washington said it did not receive evidence of his involvement in the putsch.

NBC News reported last November that investigators with special counsel Robert Mueller's probe were looking into whether former National Security Adviser Michael Flynn met with senior Turkish officials just weeks before Trump's inauguration about a potential quid pro quo in which Flynn would help orchestrate Gulen's return to Turkey. Flynn is now cooperating with the inquiry.

AKP already has offices in Brussels, Belgium, and in the Turkish-Cypriot state in northern Cyprus that is only recognized by Turkey.

In addition to the U.S., new offices are planned for Germany, the U.K., France, Russia, Macedonia, and Bosnia-Herzegovina.

Armagan, the AKP official, added that Erdogan's party would also seek permission to hold rallies in Europe and the U.S. He said the party was eager to counter what it perceives as unfair media coverage and the influence of Gulen.

Previous attempts by the Turkish government to influence overseas citizens have ended in serious discord.

In the Netherlands, violent clashes broke out when Turkish ministers tried to attend pro-Erdogan rallies during last year's constitutional referendum. When Dutch authorities outlawed the visits, Erdogan called them Nazi remnants and fascists."

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Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan said his government will punish anyone attempting to exploit developments in neighboring Syria in order to wage economic terrorism" on Turkey.

The warning was directed specifically at actors in business and financial markets.

Those playing an active role in the economy, those within the financial system, if you are attempting to wage economic terror against our country by using developments in Syria as pretext, youll be making a mistake, the president said at an opening ceremony in Ankara on Thursday. When the time comes, youll be held accountable and pay the price.

Erdogans remarks came after the lira weakened to new records against the dollar and euro this week, and the stock market slumped, triggered in part by the threat of U.S. military action against Syria. The lira is the second worst-performing emerging-market currency against peers over the past three months, trailing only the sanctions-afflicted Russian ruble.

Theres no rational explanation for the increase in exchange rates, Erdogan said. They cannot tame us through exchange rates.

On Thursday, Central Bank Governor Murat Cetinkaya told the banks annual general meeting that if needed, additional tightening would be deployed as the bank considers how developments will affect the inflation outlook. The bank also tweaked its forward guidance on what might trigger policy action, leaving economists wondering if that signaled a hawkish shift ahead of an interest rates decision on April 25.

The central bank will determinedly use all tools in its hands to achieve its goal of price stability, Cetinkaya said. If needed, additional tightening can be made by following developments in areas that are affecting inflation.

With assistance by Onur Ant, and Firat Kozok

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Erdogan Says Those Attempting to Wage Economic Terror Will ...

Irans President Hassan Rouhani, left, Russias President Vladimir Putin, right, and Turkeys President Recep Tayyip Erdogan lock hands during a group photo in Ankara, Turkey, Wednesday, April 4, 2018. The leaders of Russia, Iran and Turkey are meeting in the Turkish capital for talks on Syrias future. The leaders are expected to reaffirm their commitment to Syrias territorial integrity and the continuation of local cease-fires when they meet Wednesday. (Tolga Bozoglu/Pool Photo via AP)

As we are waiting for the other shoe to drop in Syria, there has been a falling out of thieves in that country.

Back in late January, Turkey actually invaded Syria. Their target was neither the regime nor ISIS but the Kurdish Peoples Protection Units (YPG) that Turkey was concerned was getting too cozy with the Kurdish Workers Party (PKK), a group Turkey classifies as a terrorist organization.

By March 1, Turkey was able to announce the seizure of the city of Afrin and the end to their adventure. And on April 4, Presidents Hassan Rouhani of Iran, Recep Tayyip Erdogan of Turkey and Vladimir Putin of Russia held a summit meeting which looked to foreshadow a new strategic alliance in the region.

Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan renewed vows to drive out Syrian Kurdish militants across Turkeys borders after talks with Russian President Vladimir Putin and Irans President Hassan Rouhani in Ankara today.

Speaking at a joint press conference, Erdogan said, Turkey will not stop until all regions under PYD/PKK control, including Manbij, are secured. We will never allow either Syria or our region to be attacked by a few terrorist groups. The PYD is the acronym for the Democratic Union Party, the dominant Kurdish group in northern Syria whose armed wing, known as the Peoples Protections Units (YPG), is the US-led coalitions top ground force in the fight against the Islamic State. PKK is short for the Kurdistan Workers Party, the militia that is fighting for Kurdish self-rule inside Turkey and is closely allied with the PYD. Turkey says they are one and the same.

The summit to discuss the trios future steps in Syria is part of the so-called Astana process to end hostilities between regime forces and opposition rebels through a series of cease-fires, the establishment of humanitarian corridors and the deployment of peace monitors in the countrys north, west and south, which fall outside the United States zone of influence. Of immediate concern is the fate of Idlib province, the last remaining rebel stronghold on the Turkish border where infighting among jihadi groups is weakening their grip.

Also unanswered was what to do about the turf Turkey had paid for in blood.

Earlier this week, Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov expressed the opinion that the logical thing to do was for Turkey to hand the conquered territory over to Assad.

Russias Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov stated that Russia expects Turkey to bring the Syrian town of Afrin the focus of a Turkish military operation under the control of the Syrian government, AP reported.

In his statement on Monday, Lavrov expressed that Turkish president, Recep Tayyip Erdoan, had never said that Turkey wants to occupy Afrin, noting that Russias expectation is for Turkey to bring the area previously controlled by the Peoples Protection Units (YPG) which Turkey deems as a terrorist organization under Syrian government control.

Just a day later, Erdogan told Lavrov to FOAD:

Speaking to reporters, Erdogan called Lavrovs remarks a very wrong approach. We know full well to whom we will give back Afrin. He added, We will personally hand over Afrin to the people of Afrin when the time is right. But the timing of this is up to us. We will decide this, not Mr. Lavrov.

The exchange highlights fissures in Turkeys relations with Russia, even as the two sides have grown closer in recent years and are working together to find a solution to the seven-year Syrian civil war. During the first week in April, Erdogan hosted his Iranian and Russian counterparts at a summit in Ankara to discuss their joint effort to stabilize Turkeys southern neighbor.

The daily Cumhuriyet reported that Lavrovs call has angered Turkish officials. Turkish Defense Minister Nurettin Canikli claims that predominantly Kurdish Afrin still poses a threat to Turkey and has said that its forces will remain in the region until the risks are completely gone, and we will continue to remain there until our work is finished, indicating that Turkey wants to see a political resolution of the war before withdrawing.Meanwhile, after a Cabinet meeting on April 9, Deputy Prime Minister Bekir Bozdag said that Turkey will return Afrin to the local inhabitants and will support the administration they form.

The Turkish Armed Forces are not occupiers in Afrin, and they are not there permanently, he added.

Therein, as the man said, lies the rub. Which local inhabitants are they talking about

While the claims of ethnic cleansing are unproven, at this point, the Turks have shown over the years that they are more than willing to break a few eggs for the sake of an omelet. The best color you can put on the situation is that Turkey intends to hold onto the territory it has acquired until things stabilize. The growing view is that Turkey is going to set up a Turkish puppet state composed of people it has imported while driving the Kurds out of their homes.

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Recep Tayyip Erdogan has hit out at the French government for providing support to terrorism, and appeared to refer to Saturdays vehicle attack in Germany by warning the same will happen in France.

Speaking on Saturday afternoon as the drama was still unfolding in Muenster, Turkeys President appeared to assume the attack was an act of political extremism.

You are seeing what is happening in Germany, right? The same will happen in France," he told a meeting of supporters during a visit to the southwestern province of Denizli. "The West will not be able to free itself from terror. The West will sink as it feeds these terrorists.

Later reports from Germany suggested the perpetrator of the attack which killed two people and injured about 20 was a German with mental health problems. The authorities said there was no indication it was an Islamist attack.

Relations between Ankara and Paris have deteriorated recently. French opposition to Turkeys military operation in northern Syria against Kurdish forces has angered Erdogans government.

Tensions increased at the end of March when President Emmanuel Macron met a delegation from the Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF) at the Elysee Palace which included the Kurdish YPG considered a terrorist organisation by Turkey.

The French head of state said France was ready to facilitate dialogue between the SDF and Ankara, and noted the group's commitment to having "no operational link" to terrorist groups.

The Turkish president sees it differently. France, you are abetting terrorism, supporting it by then hosting them at the Elysee Palace, he said on Saturday.

Erdogan made further accusations against France, acccusing French business of aiding "YPG terrorists", the pro-Erdogan Daily Sabah newspaper reported.

France, like the United States, has already extended arms and training to the YPG-led militia in the fight against the self-styled Islamic State, and has dozens of special forces members based in the region.

Ankara says the YPG is an extension of the outlawed Kurdistan Workers Party (PKK), that has waged an insurgency in southeastern Turkey since the 1980s.

President Macron was at the forefront of international criticism of turkey when its forces drove the YPG from Afrin in northwest Syria last month.

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