Turkey's main opposition parties ready for snap elections

Turkish opposition parties say they are ready for June 24 snap elections, a day after President Recep Tayyip Erdogan made the election announcement, previously slated for November 2019.

Republican People's Party (CHP) spokesman Bulent Tezcan, speaking at his party headquarters, said the party was ready for the election and accepted the challenge.

"As the CHP, we are ready for the elections. We are as ready as if they would be held tomorrow," Tezcan said.

The Peoples' Democratic Party (HDP) spokesman Ayhan Bilgen, said there were no reasonable grounds for elections to take place as soon as possible.

He, however, said the HDP was ready for elections at any date.

The head of the IYI Party Meral Aksener also said that her party had no reservations about the upcoming elections.

"IYI Party is the most-ready party for the elections," she said.

Switch to new executive system

On Wednesday, Erdogan's announcement came after the Nationalist Movement Party (MHP) head Devlet Bahceli – whose party is set to enter elections in an alliance with the governing Justice and Development (AK) Party – called for early 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.

He was referring to the current parliamentary system in place in Turkey, which will be made redundant after the upcoming presidential election when the government will switch to an executive presidential system.

The new system of governing was approved in an April 2017 referendum on constitutional change.

"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," Erdogan added.

Polls to foil 'dirty calculations' 

Meanwhile, Deputy Prime Minister Bekir Bozdag said bringing the elections forward would foil the those who had "dirty calculations", Anadolu Agency reported.

"The new system of government will be implemented through the will of people on June 24," he said. 

"We decided to move the elections to an earlier date to prevent Turkey from getting harmed," he said, adding this would also end debates about the elections in the country.