MAJORITY OF TURKS AGAINST PRESIDENTIAL SYSTEM

February 20, 2013 – 14:31 AMT

PanARMENIAN.Net – An overwhelming majority of respondents to a survey
have said Turkey should continue with its parliamentary system of
government rather than switching to a presidential system in a new
constitution, which is currently being drafted, Today’s Zaman reports.

According to the Social and Political Trends in Turkey survey,
which was conducted by Kadir Has University across 26 provinces in
the country, 65.8 percent of respondents said they favor keeping
the parliamentary system in Turkey in the new constitution. Only
21.2 percent of the 1,000 respondents said they support switching
to a presidential system, while 4.4 percent said they favor a
semi-presidential system.

When asked about their views regarding who should be president if
Turkey were to adopt a presidential system, 34.3 percent said they
would like to see the current prime minister, Recep Tayyip Erdogan,
as president. He was followed by Republican People’s Party (CHP)
leader Kemal Kılıcdaroglu with 12 percent and incumbent President
Abdullah Gul with 10 percent.

The adoption of a presidential system has been a common point of debate
in Turkey, with Prime Minister Erdogan, who supports a presidential
system, frequently bringing the issue to the public’s attention over
the past year. Many speculate that Erdogan hopes to become Turkey’s
first president under a new presidential system in the 2014 elections
as he is unable to run as prime minister again due to his Justice
and Development Party’s (AK Party) self-dictated rules, which do not
allow deputies to run for more than three consecutive times.

From: Emil Lazarian | Ararat NewsPress