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What happened?
Held on 16 April referendum, the majority of Turkish citizens voted for the introduction of the 18th amendment to the Constitution of the country. According to these amendments, the Republic of Turkey changed the form of government from a parliamentary to presidential, and the President is concentrating in their hands almost unlimited power. Thus abolishes the post of Prime Minister, the President is entitled to appoint Ministers and other senior officials, as well as the majority of constitutional court judges without the approval of Parliament. He controls the state budget, can dissolve the Parliament and to enter in the country state of emergency. After the entry into force of amendments in the Constitution, Erdogan will remain head of state until 2029 as the current term of his presidency will be cancelled.
At the same time, the Parliament will have the power to impeach. The number of deputies will increase from 550 to 600, and presidential and parliamentary elections will be held on the same day every 5 years.
‘ll Wait if “strong hand”?
Supported at the referendum of constitutional amendments in most of them should enter into force after the next presidential election, scheduled for November 2019. Opposition politicians fear that Erdogan will be able to obtain additional authority before this term, however, the Deputy Prime Minister Mehmet Simsek assured that nothing of the sort is planned.
The opposition leader Fethullah Gulen, see in the upcoming reform of the “hard dictatorship” and the collapse of democracy in the country.
The idea of “strong hand” gained popularity in the Turkish society especially after the failed military coup in July 2016. After the referendum, Erdogan rally in Istanbul promised to raise the issue of the return of the death penalty, which Turkey has been formally abolished in 2002 as the fulfillment of the requirements of the European Union on the admission of the country into its ranks.
feedback on the referendum
Before the end of counting of votes of the opposition “Republican people’s party” (CHP) has questioned the legitimacy of the vote, demanding a recount of up to 60% of the vote. The reason was sudden change rules of acceptance of ballots. According to the Chairman of the CHP Kemal kılıçdaroğlu, the commissions began to accept ballots without the seal, although such ballots were considered invalid.
Manfred Weber, the German politician and the leader of the center-right group, wrote on Twitter: “Regardless of the outcome of the referendum Erdogan split the country.”
After the April referendum American CNN said that Turkish democracy was dead, and the counting of votes was rigged.
The President of the United States trump congratulated Erdogan on winning the referendum and thanked for the support of the American missile attack in response to “the use of chemical weapons” in Flibe.
Context: Turkish-Russian relations
In 2015, Russia’s relations with Turkey have deteriorated sharply because of a downed Turkish fighter jet Russian su-24, which carried out the bombing site near the Syrian-Turkish border. In this regard, has suspended sale of vacation packages to Turkey, in November 2015 Vladimir Putin signed a decree a ban on the import of certain types of goods into the territory of the Russian Federation. In response, Turkey refused from Russian grain. Because of the embargo on the Turkish vegetables, the price of tomatoes in Russia, according to some experts, has increased three times. Overall both sides suffered losses amounting to billions of dollars.
In June 2016 Recep Tayyip Erdogan has sent Vladimir Putin a letter of apology for the downed aircraft and talked to him on the phone bilateral relations. After that, the sale of tours to Turkey resumed. In December 2016 in Ankara was killed by Russian Ambassador Andrei Karlov, which Russia suspended the debate on the abolition of visas for Turkish citizens.
From January 2017 for the first time Russia together with the Turkish armed forces began to strike back at terrorist groups in Syria. However, the positions of countries on the Syrian conflict differ substantially with respect to some opposing the government of Syria groups, as well as President Bashar al-Assad.
the Mikhail Delyagin, writer:
– Finding essentially absolute power, Erdogan has taken a clear anti-Russian position along with trump calling for Assad’s responsibility for chemical attack in Idlib and declaring us “grain war.” The hostility of Erdogan’s actions are obvious. Probably, it is supposed that “Russian is not going anywhere” and will endure all for the sake of the recovery of tourism and the creation of the “Turkish stream”.
backwards – from the European Union?
Supporters of Turkey’s accession to the EU believe that the country is “global geo-strategic player” and a “bridge between West and East.” Opponents point to the non-observance by Turkey of the principles of liberal democracy, such as freedom of speech.
According to Erdogan, in 2015, only 20% of the population wanted the joining of Turkey to the EU, while in 2005 this number reached 75%. Turkish Deputy Prime Minister Bulent ARINC said that the accession to the European Union ceased to be of interest to the citizens of the country.
expert Opinion
Researcher, Institute of Oriental studies Ilshat Saitov specifically for Hit.media:
– Presidential system implies a different management style. In a parliamentary system, erdoğan has been a kind of exception: after Ataturk and Ismet Inonu, the first two leaders of the Republic, which were quite authoritarian and rigid, had been introduced a multi-party system, Turkey has become more democratic and pluralistic. Erdogan returned to the days of one-party system, lays the Foundation for the next President had far greater powers than the Prime Minister in a parliamentary Republic. Strategically it will affect Russian-Turkish relations.
the Sergey Tsyplyaev, Dean of the law faculty of the Northwest Institute of managment, member of Committee of Civil initiatives (in an interview to “echo of Moscow”):
– Turkey froze in that position like a pendulum at the top – where’s it headed? Or she will go further in the direction of modernization on the road, which started Kemal Ataturk, pulling the Turkey out of the world of the Middle East, or it fell in the same vortex when you will be irremovable, weak, corrupt regimes. And then the entire opposition, in the absence of other options, will begin to take on terrorist, extremist, fanatical character.
