High inflation in Turkey threatens to eject the longtime-ruling Justice and Development Party (AKP) from power in Turkey's 2023 presidential election, meaning the government will be tempted to seek ways — such as manipulating the election process and trying to exploit a foreign crisis — to tip the political scales in its favor. On May 5, the government-run Turkish Statistical Institute reported that annual consumer inflation reached 70%, the highest rate since the AKP first took power in 2002. The Central Bank of the Republic of Turkey blamed spikes in energy and food prices because of the war in Ukraine and pandemic-related supply chain problems. The bank has not, however, raised interest rates to combat inflation, as have many other central banks. Though central bank Gov. Sahap Kavcioglu forecast that inflation would begin to decline in June, various indicators suggest this will not be the case.