Turkey's Ruling AKP Submits Constitutional Amendments to Parliament

MOSCOW (Sputnik) — Turkey's ruling Justice and Development Party (AKP) has submitted its draft of amendments to Turkey's constitution to switch to a presidential system of governance, the local NTV channel reported Saturday.

The draft was initially planned for submission on Friday. It will need the approval of at least 330 members of parliament before it can be put to the popular vote. AKP and Nationalist Movement Party (MHP) supporting the amendment currently have 355 seats in the parliament.

On Friday, Deputy Prime Minister Nurettin Canikli said the referendum may be held in March-April next year.

The controversial bill seeks to give President Recep Tayyip Erdogan sweeping powers in a move described as a power-grab by the opposition Republican People's Party and the pro-Kurdish Peoples' Democratic Party.

Turkey's first constitution was adopted in 1921 under the influence of the first president of the Republic of Turkey, Mustafa Kemal Ataturk, who abolished the Sultanate and adopted principles of secularization and modernization. The constitution was modified in 1924, and later in 1961, before the current constitution was adopted in 1982.

In its founding principles, the 1982 constitution asserts that Turkey is a secular, democratic republic. The constitution’s Article 4 bans any modifications to these founding principles.