MHP head Bahçeli: AKP’s charter offer ‘reasonable’

ANKARA

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Nationalist Movement Party (MHP) head Devlet Bahçeli has said his party has completed its study of a constitutional change draft submitted by the ruling Justice and Development (AKP) and found it “generally reasonable.” 

“There are some [items] in the draft that we approve and some that we object to. First of all, we hope it will be useful to keep the constitutional amendment narrow. We think the AKP’s amendment proposals are generally reasonable. We will hopefully reach a consensus in mutual talks,” Bahçeli said at his party’s parliamentary group meeting in Ankara on Nov. 22. 

The MHP first received the draft legislation from the AKP on Nov. 15, with the latter seeking to introduce a presidential system to replace the current parliamentary model since Recep Tayyip Erdogan became Turkey’s first head of state elected by popular vote in August 2014.        

Bahçeli again hinted at a potential alliance between the MHP and the AKP in the near future, saying his party does “not have any other choice … considering Turkey’s worsening domestic issues.” 

Any new constitutional draft needs to secure 330 votes in parliament in order to go to a referendum.        
The AKP has 316 seats and the MHP has 40 seats at parliament.

If the draft constitution is able to secure more than 367 votes, it can pass directly without the need for a referendum. However, the AKP has said it will take the new constitution to a referendum even if it exceeds the 367-seat threshold at parliament.