Erdoğan 'will not stand aside' from making political remarks
President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan has rejected accusations that he breached the country's constitution by giving political speeches, claiming it is ‘unexceptional' for him to ‘stand aside in this process.'
Erdoğan was speaking at the Turkish Union of Agricultural Chambers' 26th General Assembly in Ankara on Friday. He said as Turkey's first popularly-elected president, he would continue to "express my thoughts and views about my country and my nation during this election at every opportunity." Erdoğan had faced a legal complaint earlier this week launched by the pro-Kurdish Peoples' Democratic Party (HDP). The HDP filed a case with Turkey's Supreme Election Board claiming Erdoğan was not being impartial as president by campaigning ahead of the country's June 7 general election. The board later rejected the HDP's complaint. In the run up to the June 7 parliamentary election, Erdoğan has been giving speeches at opening ceremonies across Turkey. He has often used these speeches to promote the presidential system he wants to introduce that the main opposition parties oppose. In doing so, Erdoğan – who served as prime minister for the maximum three terms before becoming president in August last year after he won Turkey's first popular vote for the post –has mentioned the number of parliamentary seats the Justice and Development Party (AK Party) needs to secure such a constitutional change. Erdoğan informed the Ankara audience of his ambition to convert Turkey into a presidential system after the parliamentary elections: "The world's most advanced countries have a presidential system. We also need to reform our system at the administrative level. I started these discussions for my country's and nation's future. Only the people of Turkey can decide about the presidential system. Who knows who will be the president when Turkey is transformed into this system," he said.
The issue of a potential presidential system has been a hot topic in Turkey for the past few months. A constitutional amendment or a new constitution would be needed to establish such an executive presidential system. Turkey's current constitution was drafted two years after a military takeover in 1980 and numerous amendments have been made to it since.
Erdoğan was speaking at the Turkish Union of Agricultural Chambers' 26th General Assembly in Ankara on Friday. He said as Turkey's first popularly-elected president, he would continue to "express my thoughts and views about my country and my nation during this election at every opportunity." Erdoğan had faced a legal complaint earlier this week launched by the pro-Kurdish Peoples' Democratic Party (HDP). The HDP filed a case with Turkey's Supreme Election Board claiming Erdoğan was not being impartial as president by campaigning ahead of the country's June 7 general election. The board later rejected the HDP's complaint. In the run up to the June 7 parliamentary election, Erdoğan has been giving speeches at opening ceremonies across Turkey. He has often used these speeches to promote the presidential system he wants to introduce that the main opposition parties oppose. In doing so, Erdoğan – who served as prime minister for the maximum three terms before becoming president in August last year after he won Turkey's first popular vote for the post –has mentioned the number of parliamentary seats the Justice and Development Party (AK Party) needs to secure such a constitutional change. Erdoğan informed the Ankara audience of his ambition to convert Turkey into a presidential system after the parliamentary elections: "The world's most advanced countries have a presidential system. We also need to reform our system at the administrative level. I started these discussions for my country's and nation's future. Only the people of Turkey can decide about the presidential system. Who knows who will be the president when Turkey is transformed into this system," he said.
The issue of a potential presidential system has been a hot topic in Turkey for the past few months. A constitutional amendment or a new constitution would be needed to establish such an executive presidential system. Turkey's current constitution was drafted two years after a military takeover in 1980 and numerous amendments have been made to it since.
Last Update: May 08, 2015 21:29