"We are taking the first step towards establishing tomorrow’s strong Turkey," Yildirim said addressing a crowd in Ankara as quoted by the Anadolu news agency.
In January, the Turkish parliament approved a number of constitutional amendments that would boost presidential powers, including granting the president the ability to appoint some top judges and declare a state of emergency. Earlier, in February, Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan approved those amendments, however, the move was criticized by opposition parties as an attempt by the president to grab power.
According to the media outlet, Yildirim spoke at 40,000-person Arena Stadium decorated with Turkish flags and pictures of Turkey’s founding leader Mustafa Kemal Ataturk.
On February 11, Turkey’s Supreme Election Board announced that the Turkish referendum on constitutional changes would take place on April 16.
