Turkish parliament authorizes cabinet to issue decrees

By Ismail Cimen and Alp Ozcan

ANKARA (AA) - Turkish parliament on Thursday passed a bill, authorizing the cabinet to issue decrees and to change legislation pertaining to constitutional reforms.

In the April 2017 referendum, Turkish voters approved the switch from a parliamentary system to a presidential one.

Under the changes, the number of lawmakers in parliament rises to 600 from 550, presidential and parliamentary elections are held every five years, and presidents can retain ties to their political party. The prime minister post is also abolished.

On June 24, Turkey will hold both presidential and parliamentary elections.

Turkey's first popularly-elected President Recep Tayyip Erdogan has served at the top post since 2014. Before that, he served as prime minister, from 2003 to 2014.

Should he win the June 24 election, Erdogan would be Turkey's first leader under the presidential system.