Turkey opposes AKP’s presidential plan: Poll

ANKARA - Hürriyet Daily News

Main opposition MPs spray pepper gas at a parliamentary meeting, moving others to tears and producing coughing fits in a move to protest police violence.

Popular support for the ruling Justice and Development Party (AKP) has decreased by 2.5 percent since 2011 elections, while a majority of Turkish people oppose a presidential system despite the governing party’s desire to establish one, according to a recent survey.

The survey, which was conducted by the polling company SONAR across 26 Turkish provinces with 3,000 respondents, indicated that the AKP’s voter support had decreased from 49.8 percent in June 2011 to 47.3 percent in November, while the main opposition Republican People’s Party (CHP) maintained its position despite a minor drop, with voter support falling from 26 percent at the June polls to 25.1 percent in November. The Nationalist Movement Party (MHP) has gained 2.2 percent in polls since the elections, climbing from 13.0 percent to 15.2 percent. The Peace and Democracy Party (BDP) also increased its votes according to the survey, from 6 percent to 7.1 percent.

The poll also demonstrated that 52.5 percent of respondents are against the proposed presidential system versus the 26.8 percent who would like to see it established in Turkey. Some 20.7 percent of the respondents had no opinion or refused to answer the question.

CHP voters are substantially against the presidential system, with 77.2 percent saying they opposed its possible imposition. Despite Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdoğan’s ambitions for a presidential system in Turkey, only 49.1 percent of AKP voters agreed with him on the issue.

The survey could strike a blow to the ruling party, as Erdoğan has repeatedly voiced his eagerness to see a presidential system implemented in Turkey. The AKP introduced a proposal last week for a new presidential system to a Parliament panel.