ISTANBUL — Speaking at a conference, Justice and Development Party (AK Party) Vice Chairman Numan Kurtulmuş discussed Turkey's upcoming presidential elections. Kurtulmuş said, "For the first time, the president will be elected through the nation's transparent votes, not through smoke-filled rooms." Referring to Supreme Election Board (YSK) rules concerning two rounds to elect a president, a first round on Aug. 10 and a second round on Aug. 24, Kurtulmuş expressed his hope the president will gather an absolute majority and be elected in the first round.

Kurtulmuş touched on the first-past-thepost election system that is being discussed in Parliament these days. Similar to the electoral system in the United Kingdom, under a narrowing of the district electoral system, Turkey will be divided into 550 electoral districts and deputies will be elected through majority vote. The new electoral system, which would allow deputies to be directly elected by citizens, is expected to pave the way for more participatory democracy. According to the first-past-the-post election system, voters will not only vote for political parties but also for candidates to represent them. The vice chairman stated this system will pave the way for deputies who directly represent the nation's will. He said, "Through the first-past-the-post election system, we [the AK Party] will have enough deputies in Parliament to let it make a new constitution."