With nearly three weeks left until Turkey's referendum on the constitutional amendment package that will introduce a systemic switch from a parliamentary system to a presidential one, President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan refuted claims raised by the main opposition Republican People's Party (CHP) Chairman Kemal Kılıçdaroğlu on Tuesday over "deceitful" information-sharing regarding the constitutional amendments. "They [the CHP] are telling an immense lie and are trying to fabricate things that do not exist," President Erdoğan said. The president, continuing without mentioning Kılıçdaroğlu's name, said that, "There is an opposition [party] that opposes the constitutional amendment without having even read it."

Speaking at an environmental program titled, "Forests for Humans, Forests for the Economy" in Ankara, the president said, "We are introducing a change to Turkey's governing system so the country will not lose its stable and secure environment or be stuck in the claws of a weak government."

Continuing on with his remarks by strongly criticizing the main opposition CHP and its leader over deceiving the public with "fraudulent" information on the constitutional amendment package, Erdoğan urged the CHP leader and his supporters to read the constitutional amendment before "lying" about it.

"They say, 'The President will dissolve the Parliament and parliament will be shut down.' The president does not even have the authority to dissolve the Parliament. The actual fact of the matter is, if the president wants to call for a snap election, both the Presidential and Parliamentary elections will be subjected to it," the president said. "There is an article on re-holding elections but nothing on dissolving the Parliament. Similarly to the normal elections that are to be held every five years, the general and Presidential elections will be on the same day... Do not deceive the people."

Responding to the CHP's claims that "the President will be able to govern the country the way he likes with the decrees he issues," Erdoğan once more stressed that the claims were in fact "an absolute lie."

"The president will only be able to issue a decree on a matter related to the constitution or a legislative amendment. However, even on this matter the Parliament has the authority to dismiss the decree... They have no limit to their lies," he said.

The president further affirmed that the presidential system is being introduced "not to shut down any institution or business," but rather to "further pave the way of the people and the country."

"We are paving the way of the Parliament because it is the only place to issue a law, only the deputies can propose a bill," he said.

Adding to his statements, Erdoğan emphasized that a "very different" Turkey is to be "born" after April 16 with the switch to a presidential system. Erdoğan underlined that Turkey will sit at the negotiating table with the EU and discuss the country's future in the bloc after the referendum.

"We will do whatever is necessary [for Turkey's interests] on April 16, we will sit at the table with EU to debate [Turkey's future in the union]," the president said.