Government to retain presidential system, but can reform it: Justice minister

ANKARA

The government has no plans to alter the existing executive-presidential model but can reform it in line with the necessities, the justice minister has said, after President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan signaled a shift in the presidential election system which requires that a candidate must obtain at least 50 percent plus one vote of the electors.

“[Amending] 50+1 is up to our parliament. All these things can be discussed in line with our new constitution efforts. These changes require compromise in the parliament,” Yılmaz Tunç told reporters on Nov. 20.

Tunç’s remarks follow Erdoğan’s statement that a change would be necessary in the presidential election system which forces the political parties to establish alliances. Erdoğan won the presidential polls in the second round in May. Although he had secured 49.5 percent of votes in the first round, he had to go to the second round to be elected.

Tunç echoed that there could be a change in the presidential election system but stressed that there is no plan to return from the existing executive-presidential system that the Turkish people adopted in the 2017 referendum.

Recalling that the current system is the best governance model for the coordination of the state apparatus, Tunç said “There were criticisms in the first years of the implementation of the system. Changes on the legislative and executive processes can be discussed in line with our needs.”

The ruling Justice and Development Party (AKP) and its main ally Nationalist Movement Party (MHP) have no majority to change the constitution. They need the support of at least 38 lawmakers from other political parties to take a constitutional amendment to referendum.