Unic Press UK: President Recep Tayyip Erdogan won the 2017 Turkey referendum on constitutional reform package after the counting of the ballot papers.
Over 49 million voters participated in the referendum. “Yes” campaign garnered 51.37% of the total votes.
Turkish referendum ends in victory for 'Yes' https://t.co/oc7zT81KsF pic.twitter.com/qA1R8rSqnb
— ANADOLU AGENCY (ENG) (@anadoluagency) April 16, 2017
What powers does the 2017 Turkey Referendum outcome confer on the President?
- The president will appoint top public officials, including ministers and one or several vice-presidents, without parliamentary approval or oversight.
- The position of prime minister will be scrapped.
- The president will issue presidential decrees at will and can dissolve the parliament at any time in favor of elections.
- The president will freely intervene in the judiciary.
- It is the prerogative of the president to impose a state of emergency at any time.
- The number of the Members of Parliament will increase from 550 to 600.
- Both the presidential election and the parliamentary election will hold on the same day every five years.
- The president will be limited to two terms.
Critics of the 2017 Turkey Referendum
Critics in Turkey and beyond posit that the proposals in the referendum will subject the country to a kind of dictatorship as it confers ‘unlimited’ power to the president, relegating the separation of powers and grossly limiting checks and balances. The term ‘elected dictatorship’ seems to the case, given the outcome of the referendum.
The leader of one of the opposition parties, Kemal Kilicdaroglu of the Republican People’s Party (CHP), has questioned the legitimacy of the referendum, creating the impression that the results may be challenged.
Erdogan reacts to the results
President Erdogan has reacted to the outcome of the referendum in which circa 25 million voted in support, saying:
“For the first time in its history, Turkey decided on such an important change through the will of its national assembly and people. For the first time in the Republic’s history, Turkey changed its governmental system by civilian means.” (Recep Tayyip Erdogan: 16th April 2017)
