President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan, who has been advocating a change to an executive presidency, said on Thursday that if Turkey could establish a system with a strong foundation, many more Tayyip Erdoğans and successful leaders would emerge.
In response to questions on what would happen after his rule if a switch to an executive presidency is approved by the people in an April 16 referendum, Erdoğan told reporters on the way back from a trip to Pakistan that “if we establish a system with strong foundations and consolidate it, many more Tayyip Erdoğans and successful executives will emerge.”
Erdoğan defended the transition to an all-powerful presidential system, claiming a better future for Turkey.
In addition, Erdoğan said voting against the system change in the April 16 referendum would mean supporting the arguments of the outlawed Kurdistan Workers’ Party (PKK). “If I say no, my vote would go to Kandil,” Erdoğan said, in reference to the armed center of the PKK in Iraqi Kurdistan.
According to Erdoğan, a “no” vote would also mean a loss of stability in Turkey.
Critics oppose the system change since it will allow the president to even dissolve the parliament.
Since its foundation in 1923, Turkey has been run by a parliamentary system with a president vested mostly with symbolic powers.