Turkey to Hold Referendum on Presidency on April 16: Election Board
TEHRAN (Tasnim) – Turkey will hold a referendum on April 16 on proposed changes to the constitution that would replace its parliamentary system with the executive presidency sought by Tayyip Erdogan, the head of the High Election Board announced Saturday.
The proposal would enable the president to issue decrees, declare emergency rule, appoint ministers and top state officials and dissolve parliament, and could see President Erdogan remain in power until 2029.
Erdogan's supporters see the plans as a guarantee of stability at a time of turmoil in the NATO member state and European Union candidate country. Opponents fear a lurch towards a more authoritarian state, Reuters reported.
Turkey’s government launched a massive crackdown following a failed coup attempt in July, while the country has seen an increase in attacks by the Daesh terror group and by Kurdish separatists. Turkey’s economy contracted in the third quarter of last year for the first time since 2009.
