Turkey stops pretending, explains its government model
Despite all conspiracy theories and despicable attempts at humiliation, surveys reveal that the Turkish people want the change, namely the clarification, of the government model
Having nearly 150 years of experience in a parliamentary system and 65 governments in 94 years of Republican history, Turkey is now discussing a new government model.
Indeed, the distorted parliamentary system that has brought nothing other than unstable governments, economic crises and military coups to Turkey, came to a de facto end in 2007 when 68 percent of voters voted for the election of the president by public vote, instead of by Parliament in a referendum. Recep Tayyip Erdoğan became the first popularly elected president, receiving 52 percent of the vote in presidential elections on Aug. 10, 2014. Thus, the government system, which was bashed by the 1982 Constitution that followed the military coup of Sept. 12, 1980, practically became a thing of the past.
Erdoğan has unlimited power, as he was popularly elected, and the Justice and Development Party (AK Party), which was founded by Erdoğan himself, is in power, making Erdoğan's spiritual and political presence dominate Parliament as well.
Having been elected with more votes than every political party in Parliament, even the ruling AK Party, Erdoğan is the most legitimate political figure in the country. Given that his 11 predecessors were appointed by the sterile Parliament, not by the public, Erdoğan is in an unprecedented and uniquely powerful legitimate political position.
In other words, we have a model of a formless and dysfunctional government that is far from universal parliamentary system practices. Now the constitutional amendment, which is being voted on by the Grand National Assembly of Turkey (TBMM) and will be offered to the public, was prepared to remove these contradictions.
The approach that describes the general spirit of the constitutional amendment can be summarized in several topics:It will remove Parliament and the presidential office from being forces that are positioned to block each other and turn them into two elements that complement each other. It will consolidate the separation of powers and liberalize the legislative body (Parliament) that has been actually subjugated to the executive. And it will bring effective parliamentary and electoral supervision to the presidential office, which has unlimited authority but limited responsibilities at the moment.
The opposition Nationalist Movement Party (MHP) supports the AK Party's proposal that puts forward a presidential system. The main opposition Republican People's Party (CHP) and the Peoples' Democratic Party (HDP), known as the legal wing of the PKK terror organization, object to the change.
To prevent the new constitutional package from being approved by Parliament and offered to the public, they embrace the kind of nonsense that the draft is hidden from the public, even though it can be accessed by anyone on the Internet.
They are doomed to manipulation because they again think that the public will not decide what is good for them, but they themselves will decide what is best for the electorate.
Despite all these conspiracy theories and despicable attempts at humiliation, surveys reveal that the Turkish people want the change, namely the clarification, of the government model.
May the best team win.
Indeed, the distorted parliamentary system that has brought nothing other than unstable governments, economic crises and military coups to Turkey, came to a de facto end in 2007 when 68 percent of voters voted for the election of the president by public vote, instead of by Parliament in a referendum. Recep Tayyip Erdoğan became the first popularly elected president, receiving 52 percent of the vote in presidential elections on Aug. 10, 2014. Thus, the government system, which was bashed by the 1982 Constitution that followed the military coup of Sept. 12, 1980, practically became a thing of the past.
Erdoğan has unlimited power, as he was popularly elected, and the Justice and Development Party (AK Party), which was founded by Erdoğan himself, is in power, making Erdoğan's spiritual and political presence dominate Parliament as well.
Having been elected with more votes than every political party in Parliament, even the ruling AK Party, Erdoğan is the most legitimate political figure in the country. Given that his 11 predecessors were appointed by the sterile Parliament, not by the public, Erdoğan is in an unprecedented and uniquely powerful legitimate political position.
In other words, we have a model of a formless and dysfunctional government that is far from universal parliamentary system practices. Now the constitutional amendment, which is being voted on by the Grand National Assembly of Turkey (TBMM) and will be offered to the public, was prepared to remove these contradictions.
The approach that describes the general spirit of the constitutional amendment can be summarized in several topics:It will remove Parliament and the presidential office from being forces that are positioned to block each other and turn them into two elements that complement each other. It will consolidate the separation of powers and liberalize the legislative body (Parliament) that has been actually subjugated to the executive. And it will bring effective parliamentary and electoral supervision to the presidential office, which has unlimited authority but limited responsibilities at the moment.
The opposition Nationalist Movement Party (MHP) supports the AK Party's proposal that puts forward a presidential system. The main opposition Republican People's Party (CHP) and the Peoples' Democratic Party (HDP), known as the legal wing of the PKK terror organization, object to the change.
To prevent the new constitutional package from being approved by Parliament and offered to the public, they embrace the kind of nonsense that the draft is hidden from the public, even though it can be accessed by anyone on the Internet.
They are doomed to manipulation because they again think that the public will not decide what is good for them, but they themselves will decide what is best for the electorate.
Despite all these conspiracy theories and despicable attempts at humiliation, surveys reveal that the Turkish people want the change, namely the clarification, of the government model.
May the best team win.
Last Update: January 12, 2017 01:20