ANKARA (Sputnik) — In November, Turkey's Forestry and Water Affairs Minister Veysel Eroglu said that a new constitution draft, elaborated by the Turkish ruling Justice and Development Party (AKP) and the Nationalist Movement Party (MHP), was likely to be put to a referendum next spring.
"There are no problems with our proposal to amend the constitution. Today it will be submitted to parliament for consideration. The referendum on the new constitution may be held in March-April," Canikli said as quoted by Turkey's TRT broadcaster.
Under the new constitution there would be no prime minister in the political system, while the president would be a member of a political party.
The draft is supported by the AKP, holding 316 seats, and the MHP, with 40 seats in the parliament.
The CHP and pro-Kurdish People's Democratic Party (HDP) oppose the initiative, blaming President Recep Tayyip Erdogan for seeking to establish a one-man rule.
In order to secure a referendum to replace the parliamentary republic by the presidential system, the constitutional draft needs 330 votes, while it could pass directly without a referendum if approved by more than 367 parliamentarians. However, the AKP announced it would take the constitution to a referendum in any case.
