Ankara, July 1 (IANS): Turkish Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan will run for president in the election slated for Aug 10, an official said Tuesday.
Erdogan's widely expected candidacy was announced by ruling Justice and Development Party (AKP) deputy chairman Mehmet Ali Sahin at a gathering in the Ankara Trade Chambers, where more than 4,000 AKP members were present, Xinhua reported.
Erdogan, 60, has been Turkey's prime minister since 2003.
Erdogan will compete with two other candidates.
Ekmeleddin Ihsanoglu is a joint candidate nominated by two opposition parties, the Nationalist Movement Party and the main opposition Republican People's Party.
Pro-Kurdish Peoples' Democratic Party has picked party co-chair Selahattin Demirtas as its presidential candidate.