Problems between president, PM at minimum: Davuto?lu

Problems between the president and the prime minister are at their lowest point in Turkey's modern history, Prime Minister Ahmet Davuto?lu has claimed, amid renewed debate on the government's desired shift to a presidential administrative system from the current parliamentary one. 

"It's wrong to say that this 'double-headedness' issue is new," Davuto?lu told journalist abroad his plane while returning to Turkey from an official visit to Bulgaria. 

"What's more, we [as prime minister and president] are experiencing a time when problems are at a minimum," he said, suggesting that there were bigger problems before the Justice and Development Party (AKP) first came to power in 2002. 

Davuto?lu particularly recalled problems between Kenan Evren, the coup leader who later became the president, and Turgut Özal, who was first elected prime minister after the 1980 coup. He also noted that Özal faced problems as president with then-Prime Minister Süleyman Demirel in the early 1990s, while social democrat Prime Minister Bülent Ecevit later also faced problems with then-President Ahmet Necdet Sezer. 

"The opposition argues as if this issue has newly emerged. We have to set this right," he said.

President Recep Tayyip Erdo?an has repeatedly called for a formal shift to a presidential system, with Davuo?lu also expressing support. 

Main opposition Republican People's Party (CHP) leader Kemal K?l?çdaro?lu recently said the first four articles of the current constitution were a "red line" for him, ruling out support for a shift to the presidential system during a change to the constitution. 

Davuto?lu said he wanted to "focus on the positive sides" of K?l?çdaro?lu's remarks. 

"He says we can discuss anything...