Erdoğan considering a new constitution - why?
Speaking at a press conference, Turkish President Erdoğan has hinted at plans for a new constitution. He already had the constitution amended in 2017, converting Turkey into a presidential system. Now, according to observers, he may try to introduce changes that allow him to stay in office beyond 2028. But journalists suspect this is not his only motive.
Aim is to weaken the opposition
The timing of this initiative is no mere accident, explains Hürriyet Daily News:
“The ... move comes as the Nation's Alliance, which consists of the CHP, Good Party, SP and Democrat Party (DP), has accelerated works on what they call the 'strengthened parliamentary system.' What's more, they're also talking with the Future Party and the Democracy and Progress Party (DEVA). ... It's clear that the People's Alliance will use this rhetoric on the new constitution as a new tool to weaken and divide the opposition alliance in the short run and direct the country's political agenda in the long run.”
President under pressure
Ethnos finds Erdoğan's explanations unconvincing:
“The poor state of the economy and the resulting protests in social media, the scathing criticism from the opposition and the EU, the opinion polls, the US sanctions. ... All of this has put Erdoğan under pressure, and now he's seeking a change of course. ... But this seems contradictory. On the one hand the Turkish president is talking of reforms in the political, economic and judicial system based on human rights, in a bid to impress Biden and Europe. On the other hand, he's trying to 'lock down' society and get everything under control, as in the case of Bosphorus University.”