The question of who will eventually succeed Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan is increasingly becoming a topic of discussion within his party, with one of the names being floated that of his younger son, Bilal, Bloomberg reported on Tuesday, citing senior figures in the ruling Justice and Development Party.
The report said Bilal Erdogan, 44, who holds a master's degree in public policy from Harvard University, has become far more visible on the public stage in recent months. His activities are regularly covered by state media, and he has accompanied his father on overseas trips, including a meeting with Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman and visits to Pakistan, Malaysia and Qatar. According to the sources, Bilal is undergoing informal political training, building a network of loyalists and taking part in decisions on senior appointments both within the party and the government.
The scenario taking shape, according to party insiders, is that if Erdogan is re-elected, he would gradually pave the way for Bilal to replace him as chairman of the Justice and Development Party through an internal vote. At a later stage, the president could appoint his son as vice president, a move permitted under Turkey's constitution. Should Erdogan resign, new elections would have to be held within 45 days.
As part of the political crackdown in the country, Erdogan has created a political environment that gives him considerable room to maneuver in choosing his successor. His most formidable rival, former Istanbul mayor Ekrem Imamoglu, has been in prison since March after being arrested on suspicion of corruption and leading a criminal organization.
A day before his arrest, Imamoglu was stripped of his academic degree, a prerequisite for running for the presidency, and was removed from office. Imamoglu denies the charges, saying they amount to political persecution. His arrest sparked widespread protests across Turkey and rattled financial markets, but the demonstrations have since fizzled out, and European leaders have largely refrained from openly criticizing Erdogan.
On the international stage, Erdogan's gambles over the past two years have paid off. Turkey has expanded its influence from Syria to Somalia, and the president enjoys close ties with US President Donald Trump and Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman. His main risk remains economic: a deep cost-of-living crisis that threatens to erode support among millions of voters, particularly pensioners. Still, Bloomberg reported that inflation, while still above 30%, has been gradually declining, a trend that could help bolster public confidence ahead of elections.
According to the report, Erdogan maintains an iron grip on his movement, enabling him to handpick the party's future leader. Sources quoted by Bloomberg said senior figures in the party, as well as in the civilian and military bureaucracy, see Bilal's leadership of the party's youth organizations and his close ties with Islamist elements as an advantage that could help him mobilize public support and ensure a smooth transfer of power. Bilal is described as a devout Muslim capable of maintaining the party's delicate social balance, while presenting himself as a moderate figure who values relations with the West.
On January 1, he led a massive rally against Israel in Istanbul, where he called for the continuation of a boycott of Israel and said: "What is happening in Gaza is not a war, it is genocide."
Bilal is not the only name being mentioned in the context of Erdogan's succession. Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan, 57, who served for 13 years as head of Turkish intelligence and is described as one of Erdogan's closest confidants, is also considered a potential candidate. In a poll by the Turkish research institute SONAR published in February 2025, Fidan ranked as the leading choice among voters in the ruling camp as a presidential candidate if Erdogan were not to run, with about 35% support. Opposition media have even claimed that a quiet struggle is taking place beneath the surface between Fidan's camp and Bilal's.
