Turkey where President Recep Tayyip Erdogan has called an early election. It was originally planned for November of next year but has now been advanced to June. The move is expected to give Erdogan sweeping new powers. Michal Bardavid has the details.  

MICHAL BARDAVID GAZIANTEP, TURKEY "In a surprise move - Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan announced Turkey would be heading for the polls on June 24th of this year for parliamentary and presidential elections. This is more than a year earlier than planned. The initial call for snap elections came from the nationalist movement party leader Devlet Bahceli on Tuesday. Erdogan and Bahceli portrayed a strong alliance as the announcement came as a mutual decision."

RECEP TAYYIP ERDOGAN TURKISH PRESIDENT "Changing to the new system has become urgent to take stronger decisions for our country's future and execution of them, considering those realities and at the end, looking at the picture that our country is facing, we agreed with our friends that we have to approach this early election proposal in a positive way."

This historic election will officially mark Turkey's transition to a presidential system. The prime minister's post will be eliminated and will give the newly elected president sweeping new powers. Turkey's main opposition Republican People's party and the newly formed Good Party welcomed the decision. Michal Bardavid, CGTN, Gaziantep, Turkey.