Parliamentary system ‘cannot keep pace’ with Turkey’s growth: PM Yıldırım

EDİRNE

Prime Minister Binali Yıldırım on March 30 said the current parliamentary system “cannot keep pace with Turkey’s economic growth,” necessitating the shift to an executive presidential system.

“Why are we doing those [constitutional amendments]? Because this dual-headedness is making us lose time and delaying the resolution of problems. Our development is slowing down and our achievements are unfortunately slipping away from our hands one by one. The current system cannot keep pace with Turkey’s economic growth. It causes the country to waste its time and energy,” Yıldırım told a rally in the northwestern province of Edirne ahead of the April 16 referendum on constitutional amendments to shift to an executive presidency.

“If one party cannot reach power in a single-party government, the government cannot be formed in any way other than discussions, discussions, discussions. The work of the country is left half-finished and we lose time,” he added.

Yıldırım also stated that “powerful and stable governance” would bring security and economic growth, slamming previous coalition governments for creating “political and economic crises.”

“If we want to raise Turkey to a more stable, predictable and investible position, we have to pass this amendment,” he added.

Yıldırım also criticized main opposition Republican People’s Party (CHP) leader Kemal Kılıçdaroğlu for “contradicting himself.”

“Why is the main opposition party opposing [the amendments]? Kılıçdaroğlu says he voted ‘no’ in the constitutional referendum in 1982. We are changing the constitution that he rejected back then, so he should vote yes,” he said.