Erdogan: Turkey to design its own presidential system

ANKARA

Turkey should design the new presidential system according to its needs, instead of borrowing it from other countries, President Recep Tayyip Erdogan has said.

"It is the nation that will have the last word over the presidential system, as in every other issue. We should have no fear about the nation's choice," Erdogan said in an interview with the parliament's periodical.

He added that many examples of the presidential system from around the world would be studied said “to find what Turkey needs."

The Turkish president reiterated that the current parliamentary system could not serve as a solution to the country’s problems, a fact that he said "has been proven by experience many times."

"The new constitution is not a political option, but a fundamental demand of the public," he added.

Turkey has been seeking to replace its constitution, which dates back in parts to Turkey’s military regime of the 1980s. However, a parliamentary committee, with deputies from all parties, to discuss the issue broke up in February following a dispute over replacing the current system with a presidential one.

Later, a committee was established within the ruling Justice and Development (AK) Party, which has repeatedly made the constitutional reform a central part of its government programs.

A new draft constitution is expected to be submitted to the parliament within a couple of months. If the parliament fails to pass the draft with a super-majority of 367 out of 550 votes, a referendum could be used as an option.