Turkey Analysis: The Growing Debate over a Presidential System
Tuesday, October 12, 2010 at 9:29
Although Turkish Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdoğan has made it clear that the new Constitution will only be drafted after the parliamentary elections of June 2011, heated public debate over the document continues.
In April, Erdoğan’s said, "Turkey could adopt a presidential system" if the people supported the ruling Justice and Development Party (AKP) in the 2011 general elections. Then, welcoming the results of the 12 September referendum on constitutional change, the Prime Minister handed the responsibility for drafting the new constitution to Burhan Kuzu, an MP from AKP and the head of the Constitutional Commission in the Parliament, who is known for his frequent references to the adoption of Erdogan's favoured system.
Although Ömer Çelik, AKP's Deputy Chairman, has said that transition to the presidential system is currently not on the party’s agenda, the issue is likely to mark the post-election process in Turkish politics, with AKP putting forth the proposal to the public after the June 2011 elections. In those elections, AKP will be more populist than ever as it pursues consensus; the other major parties will re-align themselves to meet this strategy, especially if they cannot devise an alternative project.