Turkey’s MHP to examine constitutional amendment draft

By Alp Ozden

ANKARA (AA) – The Nationalist Movement Party (MHP) will examine the proposed draft of an amendment to Turkey’s constitution when it is put on the parliament's agenda soon, leader of the opposition party, Devlet Bahceli, said Tuesday.

Speaking at his party’s group meeting in Ankara, Bahceli said: “The proposed text will be on the Turkish parliament's agenda soon. The MHP will examine the proposal’s suitability along its party's principles and make a decision on it."

The MHP chairman previously called for a referendum to settle the debate on Turkey’s constitution and presidential system. "The MHP is on the side of the continuation of [Turkey’s] parliamentary system while it is revised and reformed,” he said last week.

Constitutional change, in particular, the call for a presidential system, has been on the political agenda since Recep Tayyip Erdogan, the former prime minister and AK Party leader, was elected Turkey's president in August 2014.

That election was the first time a Turkish president was directly chosen by popular vote.