Erdogan seeks agreement for change in Turkish constitution



ANKARA: -- AK party boss and Turkish president Recep Tayyip Erdogan has a long cherished dream; to scrap a 1982 coup-era constitution everyone agrees is no longer fit for purpose, and replace it.

Erdogan would like a more powerful presidency; fine say his opponents, as long as it’s US style, with checks and balances.

Emboldened by his election landslide, Erdogan is pitching his idea;

“I hope the opposition party leaders will all sit together around a table and work on this.
Anyone who resists our people’s wish for a new constitution, who tries to prevent it, will be held accountable in the next elections, in four years time,” he warned.

Constitutional reform was not the issue voters flocked to the AK party to support; they want security and an end to instability.

There is little evidence of that as the government rounds up dissidents and opponents with any connections to Kurdish extremism, members of the opposition Gulen network, or civil servants, military and police officers or journalists suspected of conspiring against the AK party.

The election victory also ensures there will be no immediate policy changes in Turkey’s twin wars against the Kurds and ISIL being fought along its Iraqi and Syrian borders.

Turkey’s allies would like it to concentrate more on ISIL than the Kurds and while there is more communication than before with Peshmerga fighters, the Turkish army will fight the PKK on sight.


-- (c) Copyright Euronews 2015-11-05

We were in Turkey the day he was first elected. A friend of ours, a Turkish lady Dr., said, "It's over. Turkey will become

more and more fundamental. His wife is covered." She was right. He has removed the opposition, and

controlled the press, He has personal ambitions that will put Turkey back in the Moslem dark ages. So

tragic lovely people, beautiful country. Ataturk designed a plan that if the leadership got too far away from his Western

ideals, the army would take over and get them back on track. Erdogan's first move was to jail all the army leaders.

So sad. Ataturk banned the veil and fez. The veil is back. He has just arrested 35 people who supporters of the man he

just ran against. Goodby Turkey.

Sorry, it won't be a US style presidency. Erdogan will establish a Putin style presidency. President for life Erdogan. Sounds like a great new member for the EU.

This man murders the Kurds and appears to support the IS, or at least allows them unhindered activities.

Watch out Europe you back door is open to mayhem walking in very soon.

Evil power lusting fellow. He has to have opposition support for the bill though as he lacks a majority to force it through. Any opposition candidates voting for this must be idiots.

Never let a demagogue anywhere near the constitution, especially a religious one.

the early days of a "voted for" dictatorship.

History tells a lot about this.