Erdo?an continues to push shift to presidential system

President Recep Tayyip Erdo?an has again reiterated the need for a systemic change in Turkey's governance, underlining that his aspiration for a presidential system had nothing to do with his personal prosperity.

"My duty as the president is to pave the way for the progress of my country and nation in every field and supporting efforts to this aim. Of course, it is the constitution which designates limits of my authority but my responsibility is certainly to my nation," Erdo?an said on Dec. 17.

"While we are saying 'New Turkey,' 'new constitution' and 'the presidential system should be discussed,' we are not at all saying these things by considering our own personal prosperity," Erdo?an said, while addressing people during a collective opening ceremony in Konya.

He traveled to the Central Anatolian province in order to attend the ?eb-i Aruz (Night of Union) ceremony to commemorate the 741st anniversary of the death of Jalaladdin Rumi (Mevlana) in the evening.

Erdo?an recalled how his career started when he was elected mayor of the country's largest city, Istanbul, in 1994 and how he became the president of the country in the first ever popular vote for this post in August 2014.

"What more can a person ask for?" he asked, in a bid to strengthen his point that his aspiration had nothing to with his personal ambitions.

"But I have a concern over the better governance of this country and my nation and their march toward bigger goals. Turkey can no longer proceed on its way with this system," Erdo?an said. "There is no need to be a legal expert to see this fact," he said. 

"I believe that no party and no politician can remain indifferent for so long when our nation strongly displays its will for a new...