As the constitutional amendment package awaits President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan's ratification in order to move toward a referendum, the president met with Prime Minister Binali Yıldırım following the Justice and Development Party's (AK Party) latest Central Decision and Executive Board (MKYK) meeting and an agreement was reached that the referendum will be held no later than April 9, according to sources.With the referendum process expected to begin this week, parliamentary sources have indicated that the president is likely to ratify the constitutional amendment package no later than Feb. 1 rather than wait out the entire 15-day assessment period allocated for the ratification process, meaning that the process will begin in which the date of the referendum will be 60 days after publishing the ratification in the Official Gazette. According to the procedural referendum process, the date has been indicated as April 9.However, AK Party sources did indicate that the ratification announcement is likely to appear in the Official Gazette within the week and the referendum date will be the first Sunday following a 60-day period. On that note, the AK Party is preparing for its referendum campaign on Feb. 10. Party deputies, who campaign in accordance with the president, are expected to explain to the people both the theory and judicial aspect of the constitutional amendment package.Speaking on the issue, the AK Party's Parliamentary Deputy Speaker Ahmet Aydın stated yesterday that Turkey is preparing for its "most important" referendum process, saying: "Once everyone has finished saying what they have to say, on the referendum day which is likely to be held in early April, the people will make their statement and make their choice. ... The choice of the people must be welcomed wholeheartedly by all," he added. Emphasizing that Turkey is making a system change for the first time in its history, Aydın further stressed that there will be no regime change and that the presidential system will push Turkey toward its 2023 and 2071 goals.In addition to Aydın's remarks, AK Party Deputy Chair Öznur Çalık spoke at the AK Party's Extended Provincial Social Policies Heads meeting yesterday and underlined that the presidential system is necessary and a requirement for enhanced social policies. "In order to fulfill our 2023, 2053 and 2071 goals, we will enter a referendum process in which people will for a strong state, strong economy and strong social policies," Çalık added. She finalized her remarks by noting that they [referring to the AK Party organizations] will vote in support of the upcoming referendum amid efforts to generate and further enhance social policies.Meanwhile, the political parties will finance their referendum campaign expenses themselves as the Treasury will not provide funding to political parties to cover these costs. According to the law, the government does not provide extra funding to political parties within the year of the referendum, as the parties' referendum campaign expenditures are covered through party membership fees and donations made to the parties.