Stable Turkey will benefit Macedonia: Academic

BELGRADE, Serbia (AA) - A stable, democratic, influential Turkey is not only good for the country itself, but also for places like Macedonia, according to an academic from the Balkan country.

"A stable Turkey will benefit Macedonia," Bejtulla Demiri, an associate professor at Macedonia’s International Balkan University, told Anadolu Agency.

"Macedonia and its people are closely tied to Turkey and the Turkish people. A stable, democratic, developed and with a broad perspective Turkey that is influential both in the region and the world, will benefit Macedonia and its citizens," said Demiri.

He said Macedonia, a country tied deeply to Turkey through 500 years of Ottoman rule, is closely following the political situation in Turkey.

On Turkey’s upcoming April 16 referendum on a package of constitutional changes, Demiri said that the changes are necessary for Turkey in the international political context.

"A new political system for a country like Turkey, which has great responsibilities -- a bridge between East and West, Christianity and Islam -- it is quite normal to have a new constitution to implement," said Demiri, adding that the world now faces complex and turbulent conditions.

Demiri emphasized that Turkey needs a presidential institution with the authority to manage the situation in the country more effectively.

"Turkey has a great responsibility as a NATO member. The situation in the Middle East is constantly changing with the war in Syria and the crisis in Iraq. Turkey needs a leadership that has the authority, position, and mechanism to respond to challenges and challenges," said Demiri.

The constitutional changes have been discussed since Recep Tayyip Erdogan was elected Turkey’s president in August 2014.

The changes would hand wide-ranging executive powers to the president, and the post of prime minister would be abolished. The president would also be allowed to retain ties to a political party.

Other changes would see the minimum age for parliamentary candidates lowered to 18 and the number of deputies rise to 600. Under the new constitution, simultaneous parliamentary and presidential elections for a five-year term would be held in November 2019.

- Coup attempt showed Macedonians FETO’s ‘true face’

Turning to the Fetullah Terrorist Organization (FETO) issue, the group Ankara blames for the defeated coup in Turkey last July, Demiri said that the putsch attempt showed FETO’s true face to Macedonians.

As a result, any FETO presence in Macedonia is short-lived, he added.

"The new political formation in Macedonia will find ways and solutions to stop these organizations from harming Macedonia and its citizens," Demiri said, mentioning how Macedonia is still working to set up a new government in the wake of its elections last December.