Turkish Referendum Gives New Powers to President

The President of Turkey Tayyip Erdogan claimed victory in the recent Turkish referendum.

It was a close vote with 51.36% “Yes” and 48.64 “No” votes as per preliminary results.

Erdogan Supporters Take on Turkish Referendum

The Presidential supporters say that this referendum will help the country get rid of the parliamentary system. This new Executive Presidency will help modernize the country, say supporters.

The new “Yes” vote will keep the President in office until 2029.

Opposition Parties on Turkish Referendum

The opposition parties in Turkey dispute the claims stating massive irregularities . They say that state news agency manipulated voting results and they will challenge the results in supreme election board.

Presidential Address on the Referendum

Here is what the President of Turkey had to say about the referendum.

“Today. Turkey has taken a historic decision. With the people, we have realized the most important reform in our history.”

The President asked everyone in the country to respect the outcome of the Turkish Referendum vote. He also said that he would hold a referendum to reintroduce the death penalty hence creating a deterrent.

The Powers of the President

The “Yes” vote would give additional powers to the President of Turkey. The new powers will allow him to appoint cabinet ministers, dissolve parliament, choose senior judges and also issue decrees.

The new Presidential powers will significantly curtail powers of the Turkish Prime Minister. Therefore, the President will also control the entire country’s bureaucracy.

Reason for “Yes” Votes

The President stated that the country was undergoing fragile security situation. The last nine months had seen a coup attempt, and the former coalition government was not decisive on core issues. He argued that by concentrating power in the President, the country could make tough decisions requited to overcome the security situation.

Why the “No” Votes?

The critics of the Presidential Referendum believe that the new vote makes the President a lot more powerful. Furthermore, it would result in the one-man rule in the entire country, making it difficult to hold him accountable.

Some Facts About Turkish Referendum

• The “Yes” votes outnumbered the “No” votes by 1.25 million.
• Three of the main cities of Turkey including Istanbul, Ankara, and Izmir hence voted against the President.

Republican People’s Party (CHP) is planning to challenge more than one-third of the total votes cast in the referendum. In addition, it has already accused Anadolu of publishing inaccurate results.