Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan dismissed claims on Saturday that a new constitution expanding his powers would install a "dictatorship" and said that the people would be the first to oppose such an attempt.
"Turkey can no longer proceed with the constitution that was prepared during the coup period" said Erdoğan, claiming that the nation deserves a constitution that is more compatible with their history, culture, sensitivities, demands and vision while speaking at an opening ceremony in the western province of Çanakkale.
Erdoğan also touched upon the issue of changing the current system of governance into a presidential system and asked: "They say the presidential system would bring dictatorship. Is there dictatorship in the United States, Mexico or in Brazil?"
"Change is inevitable. The building of a new Turkey is inevitable. A new constitution is inevitable. A presidential system is, God willing, inevitable," Erdoğan said.
The August vote marked the first time the president - currently a largely ceremonial post - was directly elected.
Constitutional amendments require the support of more than two-thirds of the 550-seat parliament, or at least 367 votes.
The AK Party, which currently has 312 seats, is aiming for a significant boost in numbers following June 7 parliamentary elections.
