Turkey Votes amid Debate on Presidential System
TEHRAN (Tasnim) - Voters in Turkey are casting their ballots in a parliamentary election that could lead to fundamental changes in how the country is governed.
Sunday's election is being held amid strong economic promises and debates on the Kurdish issue.
The political atmosphere is tense, with bombings targeting the country's Kurdish-oriented left-wing party and harsh rhetoric emanating from party leaders and the country's president, Recep Tayyip Erdogan.
The conservative Justice and Development (AK) Party, the ruling party since 2002 years that was formerly led by Erdogan, is aiming to attain a two-thirds majority in the 550-seat parliament.
This will enable the party to change the constitution to replace Turkey's parliamentary system with a presidential system that provides the president with strong powers, Al Jazeera reported.
By securing 330 seats, the party will be in a position to draft a constitution and try to have it approved through a referendum.
The majority of surveys suggest that a victory with such a large margin is unlikely for the AK Party.
The three largest opposition parties in parliament have all declared that they are against the presidential system.
Opinion polls indicate that the AK Party is ahead of its rivals.
However, the surveys are divided on whether it will secure the 276 seats required to enable it to form a single-party government or reach the 330 mark to initiate moves for a new constitution.
In a country where the office of the president is constitutionally neutral, Erdogan has been making political remarks in recent public appearances, often criticising the pro-Kurdish left-wing Peoples’ Democracy Party (HDP) and other opposition parties.
The HDP, which is contesting the elections on a liberal platform, is seeking to cross the 10 percent threshold and enter parliament. Its success will affect the distribution of seats and, consequently, the power of the ruling party.