Erdogan starts campaign for snap polls from opposition bastion

With Turkey's elections less than two months away, political parties are scrambling to woo voters. 

The governing AK Party has launched its campaign from the stronghold of the country's largest opposition party. 

TRT World's Hasan Abdullah reports.

'We will make a political history'

Although yet to formally declare his candidacy,  President Erdogan held what was effectively his first campaign rally in the coastal city of Izmir, the stronghold of the CHP opposition party.

"I believe we will make a political history on June 24 with record votes both on parliamentary and presidential elections," Erdogan said.

The election will be conducted under state of emergency, imposed following a defeated 2016 coup.

Erdogan 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. 

Polls indicate a second round is likely to happen and would be on July 8 if necessary.