The Turkish government has said a referendum on a constitutional amendment for switching to a presidential system of governance could be held in the spring as the Justice and Development Party (AKP) submitted the draft to Parliament today, Cumhuriyet reported.
Speaking to AHaber TV, Deputy Prime Minis Nurettin Canikli said 330 votes, which is the necessary number to take an amendment to referendum, could be reached in Parliament. He added that a referendum might be held in March, April or May. Canikli also said no early election was planned before 2019.
In the meantime Prime Minister Binali Yıldırım met with Parliament Speaker İsmail Kahraman in Ankara. Yıldırım was expected to make an announcement about a constitutional amendment draft that was agreed by the AKP and the opposition Nationalist Movement Party (MHP).
According to Habertürk, the AKP and MHP agreed on a three-step formula about the procedure for impeachment of the president in the new system: 267 signatures will be needed for starting an investigation motion concerning the president; 330 signatures will be required for setting up a commission; and 367 vote will be needed to send the president to the Supreme State Council.