Turkey may hold referendum to strengthen presidential powers
Ankara — Turkey is
considering holding a referendum on plans to expand the powers of
presidency into a US-style executive role, President Recep Tayyip
Erdogan’s spokesman said on Wednesday.
“This is an issue that can be finalized after consulting
with the people… If the mechanism to do this is a referendum, then one
will be held,” Ibrahim Kalin told reporters in Ankara.
His comments come just days after Erdogan’s Justice and
Development Party (AKP) won a surprise victory in Sunday’s election and
enough seats to return to single-party rule.
“We have a clear opinion that the presidential system will help Turkey jump to another league,” he added.
Such a system would enshrine the head of
state as the country’s number one, raising concerns at home and abroad
about the risk of having so much power in the hands of one man.
It is no secret that Erdogan, who critics say is becoming
ever more autocratic, is seeking to change the constitution to switch
from a parliamentary to presidential system. The AKP won half the votes
on Sunday to take 317 seats in the 550-member parliament on Sunday —
still short of the 330 needed to change the constitution.
Kalin insisted the planned changes were not just for the
benefit of Erdogan, who has dominated Turkish politics since becoming
premier in 2003.
“He is already a strong leader constitutionally and has already passed into history. He has no personal expectations,” he said.
“The debates on presidential system are not out of concern
over his future. It is being considered as a useful model for Turkey.”
Erdogan, 61, has vowed to be an active president and
already stretched the powers of the once-ceremonial presidency since
winning the post in August last year in the first ever popular vote.
He argues that this would be little different from the
system in democracies such as France and Brazil and that changing the
current constitution, born out of a 1980 military coup, is long overdue.
— AFP
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