Why Erdoğan called snap elections

• The economy has performed well over the last year, but there are early signs it may be slowing down.
• The military offensive in Afrin, Syria, has boosted Erdoğan's popularity, but the prospect of a violent insurgency or pressure from Russia to pull out mean "the shelf life is pretty short."
• The opposition is divided, but Meral Aksener (or "she-wolf"), a hard-charging former cabinet minister, is providing a rare challenge from Erdoğan's right. "I think he wants to nip her in the bud," Cagaptay says.

The elections are to be held under a state of emergency, and Erdoğan will "make sure it's an uneven playing field," Cagaptay adds.