Turkey's Erdogan announces elections for May 14

President Recep Tayyip Erdogan has announced that Turkey's elections will be held on May 14 -- a month earlier than scheduled -- as the opposition still searches for a unified candidate to stand against him.

This could prove to be the most challenging election in Erdogan's two-decade rule, which has seen economic booms, giant development projects, disputes with neighbours, wars and a failed coup.

"I will use my authority ... (to) bring the election date forward to May 14," Erdogan said in a video from his meeting with young people in the northwestern city of Bursa this weekend.

Turkey's next general election was officially due on June 18.

"This is not an early election but bringing it forward," Erdogan said during the video broadcast shared by his office.

The Turkish leader said they had agreed on an adjustment to the timetable with its junior right-wing coalition partner to avoid disrupting the school exam schedules.