Premier says Turkey's constitution change to be limited

By Tutku Senen

ANKARA

Turkey will hold a referendum on constitutional change before presidential, general and local elections are held in 2019, Prime Minister Binali Yildirim said Tuesday.

“Turkey does not face any uncertainties,” he told an audience at the Turkish Exporters Assembly in Istanbul.

Promising that any constitutional change would be “limited”, Yildirim said the system needed to be reformed “in accordance with political reality”.

The ruling Justice and Development (AK) Party has sought to introduce a presidential system to replace the parliamentary model since Recep Tayyip Erdogan became the first president by popular vote in August 2014.

In order to secure a referendum, it has reached an agreement with the opposition Nationalist Movement Party (MHP) to give it the necessary 330 votes.

Separately, Yildirim said “perception operations” conducted by the Fetullah Terrorist Organization, which is said to be behind the July 15 coup attempt, were attempting to undermine Turkey’s stability and economy.