AKP opens presidential system debate the day after election

The day after the Justice and Development Party (AK Parti) scored its surprising election victory, it has reopened the issue of a new constitution based on a shift from the current parliamentary system to a presidential system.

During his press conference on Nov. 2, AK Parti spokesman Ömer Çelik called on the opposition parties to collectively work on a new constitution "in line with the needs of the country." Çelik did not put much stress on the shift to a presidential system, but on Nov. 3 Deputy Prime Minister Yalç?n Akdo?an said the issue was something that had been promised by the party in its manifesto so it would absolutely be a part of its new constitution offer. On the other hand, Gürsel Tekin, the secretary general of the social democratic Republican People's Party (CHP), stated on Nov. 3 that his party was ready to discuss a new constitution, as it has already promised, but ruled out supporting a change to a presidential system. CHP head Kemal K?l?çdaro?lu repeated numerous times during the election campaign that his party was ready for a constitutional reform, while giving the caveat of keeping the constitution's first four "Founding Articles."

The CHP claims that if executive powers are further centralized, and checks and balances are further weakened - as President Tayyip Erdo?an has for years been saying is necessary - then it will badly damage the quality of Turkey's pluralist democracy.

The AK Party won 317 seats in the 550-seat parliament with its sweeping victory in the snap election on Nov. 1. But that is neither enough to change the constitution in parliament (which needs a two-thirds majority of 367 seats), nor to take it to a referendum (which needs a three-fifths majority of 330 seats). As a result, Prime Minister...