Turkey to submit constitutional amendment bill Saturday

By Selma Kasap and Ilkay Guder

ANKARA (AA) - Prime Minister Binali Yildirim has announced the constitutional amendment bill will be submitted to the parliament on Saturday.

Speaking at an inauguration ceremony in the Black Sea province of Zonguldak Friday, Yildirim said: "Along with the [opposition] Nationalist Movement Party [MHP], we have prepared a [draft] offer envisaging a limited change.

“As the Justice and Development (AK) Party group, we will submit our offer about the constitutional change to the Turkish parliament tomorrow [Saturday]," he said.

"With this [constitutional draft] offer, I hope this [proposed] presidential system will end [the arrangement of] coalitions in Turkey," the premier said, adding he hoped the parliament and Turkey’s democracy would become more powerful.

The ruling Justice and Development, or AK, Party has sought to introduce a presidential system to replace the current parliamentary model since Recep Tayyip Erdogan became president in August 2014.

The new constitutional draft needs 330 votes to pave the way for a referendum.

The AK Party, with 316 seats, and the MHP, with 40, both back the bill.