People demand a stronger parliamentary system: CHP

ANKARA

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A senior executive of the main opposition Republican People Party (CHP) has dismissed President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan’s recent statements demanding the removal of Turkey’s “dual-headed system,” claiming that the public wants the existing parliamentary system to be strengthened, not removed.

Recent developments on Turkey’s agenda have once again revealed the inappropriateness of powers being centralized in the hands of one man through a transition to a presidential system, CHP Deputy Parliamentary Group Chair Levent Gök said on Dec. 4.

“Our people have been asking for a strengthening of the parliamentary system and have been asking everybody to remain within constitutional restraints. What he means when he says ‘Let this duality disappear’ is something else. He is simply saying ‘Let me be the one man,’” Gök said at a press conference, referring to remarks made by Erdoğan en route from Qatar to Turkey on Dec. 3. 

“We will not let the president create an artificial agenda items when we should instead be discussing models that would strengthen parliamentary democracy and the separation of powers,” he added.

Gök also slammed Prime Minister Ahmet Davutoğlu for not failing to make any clear-cut statements on the issue of Erdoğan’s aspiration for a presidential system.

“When saying ‘dual-headed’, the president is presumably referring to himself and the prime minister. Mr. Prime Minister, where do you place yourself in such a definition?” he said.