Tuğrul Türkeş

The ruling Justice and Development Party (AKP) and the Nationalist Movement Party (MHP) are continuing to discuss the content of the constitutional amendment on the government's desired presidential system change, Prime Minister Binali Yıldırım has stated, adding that joint efforts have been accelerated in order to submit the text to parliament's constitution committee this week.

Although the text has not been publicized yet, the Justice and Development Party (AKP) has already begun collecting the required signatures from its lawmakers for a constitutional amendment package in a bid to accelerate the process to introduce a presidential system. 

Deputy Prime Minister Numan Kurtulmuş has said he has no concern that a constitutional amendment on a presidential system will fail to receive at least 330 votes in parliament, while repeating a call on the main opposition to join the efforts.

Prime Minister Binali Yıldırım of the ruling Justice and Development Party (AK Parti) and Devlet Bahçeli, the leader of the Nationalist Movement Party (MHP), declared in a joint press conference on Dec. 1 that they had agreed on the draft of a constitutional change to shift Turkey's parliamentarian system to an executive presidential one.

Deputy Prime Minister Tuğrul Türkeş's statements on the capital punishment, referendum and the leader of the Nationalist Movement Party (MHP) Devlet Bahçeli caused a minor tremor in politics. 

Deputy Prime Minister Tuğrul Türkeş is known to be against the death penalty. In the cabinet meeting presided by President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan on Oct. 31, he expressed his views outright.  

The state of emergency should continue until all remnants of the July 15 coup attempt are cleared, Nationalist Movement Party (MHP) leader Devlet Bahçeli said Nov. 29, echoing President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan.

Ruling Justice and Development Party (AKP) Deputy Chair Tuğrul Türkeş has said he is against the reintroduction of the death penalty, a hotly-debated issue since Turkey's failed July 15 military coup attempt. 

Constitutional changes are not possible under the state of emergency in Turkey, the ruling Justice and Development Party (AKP) deputy leader has said, commenting on recent debates on a charter change. 

"The charter cannot be changed under the state of emergency," Tuğrul Türkeş told daily Hürriyet, adding that charter changes were absolute agreement texts. 

The president should retain links with his political party because an impartial head of state causes "weakness in legislative activities," President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan has said, speaking after the ruling Justice and Development Party (AKP) delivered its draft for a new constitution to the Nationalist Movement Party (MHP).