Making a statement on a constitutional amendment package that will officially bring an executive presidency to Turkey, President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan said on Wednesday in Madagascar that he would make his decision as soon as possible after returning to Ankara that evening.
“I am returning to our country tonight, and I will evaluate the package as soon as possible,” Erdoğan said at a press conference during his visit to Africa. Erdoğan claimed that the expectation of the people was to hear a decision, an indication of his eagerness to approve the proposed changes to the constitution.
In response to a question on the main opposition Republican People’s Party’s (CHP) decision to appeal the legislation at the Constitutional Court, Erdoğan urged the high court to make a decision as soon as possible.
A number of veteran jurists and academics have been warning that the amendments will concentrate power in the hands of the president and pave way for one-man rule.