Turkish president signs election harmonization bill

By Enes Kaplan

ANKARA

President Recep Tayyip Erdogan on Wednesday signed a harmonization law to bring Turkey’s election system in line with constitutional reforms approved last year in a referendum, according to the presidency.

Under the law, Turkish citizens living abroad can cast their votes until three days before election day in Turkey, scheduled for June 24.

Parliament last Friday passed a bill calling for early presidential and parliamentary elections, cementing Turkey’s move to a presidential system.

The law also ends the appointment system for overseas voters, allowing them to cast ballots on any date following the Supreme Board of Elections’ announcement of voting dates for overseas voters.

It also allows a person to be elected to not more than two terms as president, a presidential runoff if no candidate gets more than half of the votes cast, along with other election-related changes in line with the constitutional reforms.

In the April 2017 referendum, Turkish voters approved the switch from a parliamentary system to a presidential one.

Under the changes, the number of lawmakers in parliament rises to 600 from 550, presidential and parliamentary elections are held every five years, and presidents can retain ties to their political party. The prime minister post is also abolished.