Political parties have launched their campaigns for the constitutional referendum on April 16. The ruling Justice and Development Party's (AK Party) campaign mottos and songs were announced Saturday to the public in a meeting that took place at Ankara Arena. Talking to Daily Sabah about their referendum strategies, AK Party Deputy Chair Cevdet Yılmaz, who is a deputy from predominantly Kurdish province Bingöl, said they will be pursuing a positive campaign strategy, consolidating "yes" votes, while trying to persuade others. Yılmaz stated that Turkey's Kurdish citizens will vote for change in the referendum and not the status quo. He added that they are calling all citizens to vote "yes" for faster development, peace, the eradication of tutelage and the reformation of the bureaucracy.DS:Could you inform us about the details of the campaign you launched on Feb. 25?We officially launched our campaign at the weekend. This is not a parliamentary or mayoral election, but it is much more important than both of those elections. We are at the crossroads of history and on the eve of a vital referendum. As a general strategy, we have explained the benefits of the presidential system to all our provincial and central organizations, we have asked the members of our organization to go out on the streets and talk to the people about the referendum. We have made presentations to 970 provincial chairs in Ankara and answered their questions. Moreover, we came together with all local administrators in our party in Antalya and discussed the issue. For a healthier dissemination of information, we have educated and appointed three orators for each city in Turkey. All of them were instructed by experts, learning what benefits the presidential system entails. These orators will be informing the provincial party organizations and members of the provincial organizations will disseminate this information to the public.The main opposition party is trying to blur the content of the constitutional change package. With false statements, they are attempting to hide the contents of the package. They are trying to divert the public's attention elsewhere, especially with the baseless accusations of a regime change; however, we trust the contents of the package and, for this reason, we are aiming to convey the contents truthfully to the public via our provincial organizations.What are some of the main themes of the AK Party's referendum campaign?We are focusing on four main themes in our campaigns. The first is democratization and the eradication of tutelage. We believe the will of the people must be empowered. The reason behind the AK Party's foundation was essentially this, to carry the people to power. We have been fighting against the forces of tutelage with the power lent by the people. The system of government we are proposing is based on the same understanding. The people will now be able to directly elect deputies, along with the president of the country, every five years. Both will be elected directly by the people. Therefore, we are talking about a new page in Turkish politics in which the people's will rules supreme. This is the most important aspect.Secondly, we are emphasizing economic development and prosperity. As you know, I'm the former Minister of Development. Turkey has many aims for 2023 and beyond. Without trust and stability, economic development is not possible. Turkey has been in a 14-year long period of trust and stability; however, this stability relied on certain figures and a singular party, rendering it periodical. We want to perpetuate stability through institutionalization. The new system is essentially about stability and ending the two-headed nature of the existing system. Another aspect of it is to decrease the bureaucratic processes.Thirdly, Turkey becoming more influential in international politics is another theme. We are going through turbulent times; the struggle to gain global political power is getting fiercer. Brexit, Trump and the developments in Asia-Pacific… Many changes are taking place. On the other hand, there is turmoil in countries like Syria and Iraq where Turkey's national interests lie. We have to stand strong as a country in these turbulent times and this depends on a strong administration.Our fourth theme is peace and unity in Turkey. The country must overcome the political polarization. Various segments of society need to have a dialogue with each other and cooperate. As the new system requires at least the half of the votes, it will force all parties to appeal to different segments of the society. You cannot lead just by appealing to a narrow audience. This will mean increased dialogue between the segments of society. The new system will reposition politics to the political center, resulting in a more moderate political atmosphere in Turkey and creating a spirit of unity.There are criticisms of the reform package on the basis that it will lead to a one-man rule once it passes. How will you respond to these criticisms?We should not confuse an elected executive with a self-appointed dictator. We are talking about a president who is to be elected by millions. This person will rule the country for a set period of time; therefore, lifelong rule is definitely out of the question. Moreover, the governments are to elected through the legitimate will of the people. In this sense, trying to present the new system as one-man rule is nothing but a lie and slander. I'm certaın that these kinds of arguments will not be taken seriously by the public.You have said that the presidential system will reinforce peace and unity; however, there are some who believe the presidential system will force a two-party system, pushing the other parties to the margin and increasing polarization. What are your thoughts on this?I completely disagree. Turkey has a distinct political tradition and sociological structure. Various political representations will always exist. Moreover, the parties that receive relatively fewer votes will have the advantage to determine the outcome. Let's say you received 45 percent of the votes and you need 6 percent more. A party that appeals to the 6 percent of the voters will become much more valuable. Therefore, the political dialogue and cooperation between the parties will increase. There won't be any coalitions, but political alliances are always possible. As this is a new system of government, it will create its own culture, mentality and practices.How would you respond to the criticisms that the new system will curb the efficiency of Parliament?It is yet another false accusation by the main opposition party. On the contrary, these changes will result in the empowerment of Parliament. When you look at the laws that recently passed Parliament, most of them were ministerial bills. The new system, on the other hand, grants the right to make and pass laws solely to Parliament. The government will no longer be able to push ministerial bills. Moreover, ministers will not be able to retain their duties as deputies. Therefore, the separation of powers is being consolidated. The representation will get better, while Parliament will enjoy increased supervisory authority.The only exception is the budget. In the new system, the government and the president will have the right to prepare the budget, which then will be submitted to Parliament. All other authorities fall under Parliament. No one will be able to propose laws beside the deputies. Furthermore, Parliament will supervise the government, ministers and the president. The number of deputies is also being increased from 550 to 600. While there is a deputy per 40,000 people in Europe, in Turkey this number is more than 100,000. Increasing the number of deputies will increase representation.On the other hand, the ministers will be appointed in the new system, while the deputies continue to be elected. You will see in time that the deputies will become more prestigious, which is only possible with the increased authority of Parliament.What do you think about the criticisms that Parliament's supervisory authority is being curbed in the new system, as Parliament can no longer call for a vote of confidence or interpolate the government?As the people will directly elect their government, the vote of confidence is given to the people. We do not believe it is correct to seek a second vote of confidence from Parliament. Therefore, all other supervisory authority of Parliament will be maintained and reinforced. For instance, written questions are to be answered within 15 days. This exists in the current system as well; however, providing an answer is not mandatory. With the new system it will become a constitutional obligation.On the other hand, the new system grants the right to supervise the president to Parliament. Today's Parliament does not have any authority over the president, beside the right to charge the president with treason. However, in the new system, Parliament can establish an investigative commission for anything the president does and can decide whether the president should stand trial in the Supreme Court.An article of the constitutional reform package foresees the president retaining their affiliation with their party. How would you respond to the criticisms that this will harm the president's impartiality?Firstly, the president being a member of a party is not problematic. If you look from the tutelage supporters' perspective, it may seem so; however, we are not in a single-party system. In a democratic pluralist environment, political parties are an indispensable part of life. They are the bridge between the people and the state. Party member executives will rely more on the common will of the people. They would be in a more active dialogue with the people. Moreover, they will consult more with their fellow party members. Therefore, in a multiparty system, being a member of a party is good.On the other hand, being a member of a party will not harm one's impartiality, as it also won't pose an obstacle in being fair and serving the public.If the reform package passes the referendum, some articles will be implemented in 2019, which has been criticized by some. What is your take on these criticisms?It's true that the articles of the package will be implemented on three different dates. The first are articles that will immediately come into effect. A party member president is one of them. Secondly, some articles will come into effect before the first elections when the candidacy process begins. The third are articles that will be implemented after the president is elected according to the new system.The gradual implementation of the new system is due to the need for harmonization. The constitution is the highest norm that subsumes laws and enactments. Therefore, when you change certain articles in the constitution, it will affect the other laws and regulations. For instance, the reformation of the political party law and the parliamentary bylaw will be completed by 2019.On the other hand, as the current president and the prime minister are harmonious, we do not have to rush these changes; the general malfunctions of the system are not effective in this period of time. We will gradually implement harmonization laws and regulations, as we believe it is a healthier approach.You are a Bingöl deputy. As you know, some of the Peoples' Democratic Party (HDP) deputies are under arrest and the draft was prepared in cooperation with the Nationalist Movement Party (MHP). For these reasons, it is being speculated that Kurdish citizens will vote against the reform package. What are your observations?The people of Southeastern Anatolia had many issues because of the existing system. They know the value of democracy very well and will evaluate whether the new system improves democracy. Moreover, these citizens suffered from terrorist organizations the most. The government is trying to mend the wounds there, we are trying to increase employment with new economic initiatives. I believe these will be appreciated by our citizens. Another factor is the security of the ballot box. Unfortunately, the terror organization pressured people to vote in a certain way in the past. Now, the citizens will have the chance to project their free will in a much secure environment.Therefore, no one should expect Kurdish citizens to protect and maintain the status quo. They will side themselves with change. Acting like the guardian of the status quo suits the main opposition Republican People's Party (CHP) better. Not the CHP's voter base, mind you, but the executives of the party.Certain foreign news outlets are claiming that the referendum will not be fair as Turkey is a under state of emergency. What is your take on this?This is not Turkey's first rodeo, so-to-speak. We are talking about a country that has immense experience in elections, along with a rooted democracy and a solid multiparty system. They should first take these into consideration.Turkey has always been meticulous when it comes to elections. All of our elections take place under the supervision of the Supreme Election Council and the judiciary. The referendum will not be anything different. These kinds of allegations come from those who believe they have already lost the referendum. They are looking for excuses. The people of Turkey will reflect their free will in the ballots and no one has the power to stop this will from materializing itself.On the other hand, every party will have their own campaign, trying to persuade people. There will be discussions between those who support and oppose the reform package. These are normal procedures of living in a democracy. No one has the right to doubt Turkey's electoral security.I would also like to remind everyone that the state of emergency is not directed toward the people, but the state. We are aiming to eliminate terrorist elements from the state with the state of emergency, while causing minimal interference to the everyday lives of the people. As it seems, our people are proceeding with their everyday lives. Therefore, we don't expect the state of emergency to affect voter behavior. On the contrary, as the pressures of PKK and the Gülenist Terror Group (FETÖ) are minimized, people will be able to vote with greater security and freedom.Lastly, what do the recent polls show?We don't believe it's right to talk about numbers; however, we know that "yes" votes are leading. Still, we and our provincial organizations have to avoid complacency and work hard. It is not head to head; however, it is also not a comfortable lead that could cause complacency.On the other hand, the numbers show us that there aren't many indecisive voters among the AK Party's base. We are working to persuade the indecisive voters, as they are the main audience of all campaigns. We will work hard to consolidate the "yes" votes, while trying to persuade the others.