Turkish president, PM differ on presidential system plan

Turkey's president, Parliament speaker and a key ruling party figure have expressed reservations about instituting a presidential system of government, leaving Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdoğan increasingly alone in his advocacy of such a move.

“No doubt, I have reservations,” President Abdullah Gül told a group of journalists traveling with him to Strasbourg on Tuesday, when asked for his views on the ongoing discussion.

“The presidential system has so many advantages but so many disadvantages as well,” he said. “Any decision should be made after in-depth discussions.”

Parliament Speaker Mehmet Ali Şahin and Deputy Prime Minister Bülent Arınç, Erdoğan’s right-hand man in the Cabinet, have expressed similarly skeptical views on the idea of adopting a system that would grant Turkey’s president powers similar to those held by the head of the United States.

In an interview with the private channel CNNTürk last year, Erdoğan said a presidential system could be a better choice for Turkey and added that his government would take initiative on the issue after the general elections in June. The suggestion of adopting such a system as part of the ruling Justice and Development Party, or AKP’s, post-election plans to renew the constitution has been seen by many as a way for Erdoğan to eventually hold a powerful presidential post.

Despite widespread discussion about the idea, however, the government has not yet disclosed the model it has in mind.

“Everything can be discussed. I would not say anything if everything about this issue was well-known,” Gül said Tuesday, indicating that the consequences of such a change had not yet been fully addressed.

“I think the same way as the president,” Parliament Speaker Şahin, the second-highest-ranking official after Gül in the state apparatus, told reporters Wednesday. “I remember that I recently made a similar statement and said that this [presidential] system has both advantages and disadvantages. That clearly shows that our opinions about it overlap.”

Deputy Prime Minister Arınç, one of the AKP’s most powerful figures, has said he favors the current parliamentary system over a presidential one, which he said has been discussed for 15 years. “Even though it has some weak points, I believe the parliamentary system is much better for Turkey,” Arınç told reporters, adding that it is not the right time to ponder a presidential system.

“There may be those who defend the presidential system; we’ll respect them. There are those who say a semi-presidential system fits Turkey better. This should be respected as well,” Arınç said. “I am of the opinion that it is not correct to make this issue a matter of regime or to exclude or falsely present those who back different models.”

Arınç said the issue would be discussed when civil society, political parties and other relevant institutions come together to make a new constitution.

Gül’s statement received support from the main opposition chief Kemal Kılıçdaroğlu, who told reporters, “To tell the truth, the president’s remarks on his reservations about the presidential system made me happy.”

Kılıçdaroğlu, the leader of the Republican People’s Party, or CHP, said he was also satisfied with Gül’s statement on the need for a “wide consensus” on the new constitution. “But we would have liked to see him say the same thing just before the [Sept. 12, 2010] constitutional amendments referendum as well,” he added.


/Hurriyet Daily News/