The Law on Presidential Elections (Article 3(2)) follows Article 116 of the revised Constitution by allowing the president to run for a third term in the event of an early parliamentary election being called before the expiry of his or her second term. In its 2017 opinion on the constitutional reform in Turkey, the Venice Commission criticised the possibility of a third term, pointing to the importance of constitutional limitations to successive presidential terms as a means to limit the risk of negative consequences for democracy.44 This point should be reiterated. It is once again recommended reconsidering the possibility for the President to be elected for a third mandate in case of early elections; this would imply a constitutional revision.
44 See CDL-AD(2017)005, par. 56-57. See also the UN Secretary-General report on “Strengthening the role of the United Nations in enhancing the effectiveness of the principle of periodic and genuine elections and the promotion of democratization”, A/72/260, p. 2.