Over half of Turkish voters prefer parliamentary system

ISTANBUL

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More than half of all Turkish citizens prefer Turkey’s current parliamentarian system instead of imposing a presidential system on the country, according to a survey conducted a day after the Nov. 1 snap elections by the Ipsos surveying company. 

Some 57 percent of respondents said “Turkey should continue to have the current parliamentarian system,” while only 31 percent said “Turkey should introduce a presidential system.” 

Twelve percent, however, said they had no idea or response to the question over the country’s administrative system. The survey was conducted among 1,614 respondents from 81 provinces who were eligible to cast votes in the Nov. 1 elections between Nov. 2 and 3.

The survey, which was conducted immediately after the elections, also revealed that a majority of respondents believe that the constitution should change. 

Some 63 percent of respondents said political parties should come together to change the constitution. Only 28 percent said the country should continue with the current constitution. Nine percent said they had no idea or response to the question regarding the governing charter. 

With the opposition parties’ share of the vote falling on Nov. 1 compared to the June 7 general elections, respondents were also asked whether they believed the leadership of the political parties should change. 

Some 80 percent of respondents said the Nationalist Movement Party (MHP) should change its current leader, Devlet Bahçeli, in the aftermath of the Nov. 1 elections. Meanwhile, 56 percent of participants believe that Republican People’s Party (CHP) leader Kemal Kılıçdaroğlu should be removed from his post to be replaced with another figure. He was followed by Peoples’ Democratic Party (HDP) co-chair Figen Yüksekdağ, with 38 percent saying she should leave the post. Some 35 percent also said her co-chair, Selahattin Demirtaş, should be removed from his position, while 21 percent of respondents said Justice and Development Party (AKP) leader Ahmet Davutoğlu should also vacate his chair.