Amid an ongoing debate about whether Turkey needs a new constitution, the results of a recent survey indicate that a majority of the Turkish public does not think Turkey needs a new charter.
A poll of 6,500 people conducted by ORC Research between October 27 and November 2 across 41 provinces found that 55.7 percent of the respondents were against a new constitution while 20.6 percent said it is necessary.
Turkey’s current constitution was drafted in the aftermath of a military coup in 1980. It has been amended several times but is still criticized as being far from democratic or liberal.
The survey results come at a time when far-right Nationalist Movement Party (MHP) leader Devlet Bahçeli on Tuesday publicly backed a constitutional amendment to allow President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan to seek another term. The current constitution does not allow it, as the president is term-limited.
Bahçeli explained his support for Erdoğan by discussing national priorities, saying Erdoğan’s re-election would be “natural and correct” if terrorism and inflation are brought under control.
According to the survey, most supporters of the People’s Alliance, an electoral alliance made up of members of Erdoğan’s Justice and Development Party (AKP) and the MHP, back the removal of restrictions that prevent Erdoğan from running for the presidency again.
The Turkish Constitution currently stipulates that the president is subject to term limits, and may serve a maximum of two five-year terms held according to a fixed schedule. If snap elections were held in 2027 before the end of the second term, an additional term would be permitted.
In response to a question about holding an early election, 50.9 percent of the survey respondents supported the idea, while 37.4 percent opposed it, and 11.7 percent were undecided.
Erdoğan and AKP officials have discussed the need for a new constitution in recent years; however, critics say Erdoğan’s position is still far from allowing the people to enjoy even the freedoms granted by the current constitution. They argue that Erdoğan’s push for a new constitution could be aimed at diverting attention from pressing socioeconomic issues and consolidating power under the guise of reform.