MOSCOW (Sputnik) – On April 16, Turkey will hold a referendum on the constitutional reform, which, if adopted, will give more powers to Erdogan.
“Some prominent countries of the West are trying to give us a hard time by supporting the terror organization. The West is openly carrying the ‘no’ campaign on their state television channels and [newspaper] headlines,” Erdogan said at a rally in the northern province of Corum, as quoted by Hurriyet Daily News media outlet.
9 April 2017, 18:54 GMT
On January 21, the Turkish parliament approved the constitutional amendments that would enlarge the presidential powers over the legislature and the judiciary. The president will also be able to remain the head of the political party he represents, which is not allowed by the current legislation, if approved by the referendum.
Turkish-EU relations are experiencing a noticeable slump amid several European countries’ refusal to let Turkish officials organize demonstrations supporting the approval of the constitutional amendments at the referendum.
