Recep Erdogan calls snap election in move to consolidate Turkish presidency

Turkey's President Recep Tayyip Erdogan has called early parliamentary and presidential elections for June 24.

Mr Erdogan made the announcement today after talks with Devlet Bahceli, the leader of Turkey's main nationalist party.

Mr Bahceli made a surprise call for snap elections a day earlier.

Mr Erdogan said the elections that were originally scheduled to be held in November 2019 need to be brought forward in order to quickly usher in a new presidential system to deal with challenges ahead.

Turkey is switching from a parliamentary system to a presidential one that will increase the powers of the president.

The changes will come into effect with the next elections.

Mr Bahceli, Mr Erdogan's political ally, had argued there was "no point in prolonging this any longer", citing efforts by unnamed circles to foment chaos in Turkey.

In 2016 Mr Erdogan survived an attempted military coup.