ANKARA — Turkish Prime Minister Tayyip Erdogan Tuesday took a step toward extending his powers after his ruling AK Party presented to parliament a proposal to set up a presidential system. Erdogan, who has dominated Turkish politics since the party first came to power in 2002, is widely viewed as aiming to consolidate his position by becoming the head of state in a 2014 presidential election. Under the current system, the president is a largely ceremonial figure. The AK Party aims to create an executive presidency within the framework of a new constitution which the government says will advance Turkey's democratization. Erdogan's plans are likely to be challenged by other parties in parliament who fear such a reform will hand him too much power. However, the AK Party has a large majority in parliament which leaves it strongly positioned to push through reform. “We presented a measure to the parliamentary speaker's office. Within that there is an AK Party proposal on the formation of a presidential system,” Deputy Prime Minister Bekir Bozdag, a leading advocate of the reform, told reporters. “We think it is right to move Turkey to a presidential system which can establish strong leadership and create stability rather than disputes in the years ahead,” he said. The move coincided with an announcement from Erdogan that local elections would go ahead in March 2014 as scheduled. He abandoned an attempt to bring the vote forward after failing to win enough parliamentary support for the plan. The decision will be seen as a minor blow to the prime minister's presidential ambitions as an earlier date for local elections would have given him more time to prepare for the presidential contest in 2014. No details were immediately available on the 22-article constitutional proposal, presented to parliament Monday. It was expected to be forwarded to an all-party parliamentary commission formed after last election to work on a new charter. The AK Party has yet to spell out exactly what its reform plans are, but Erdogan is expected to seek the presidency in the 2014 vote as under party rules he cannot run for prime minister again when his term ends in 2015. Erdogan was reported as saying last Friday that he was losing hope of building cross-party support for the constitutional reforms but that he was determined to push the plans forward. His Islamist-rooted party, which trounced the opposition in three parliamentary elections, has transformed Turkey during its decade in government, creating unprecedented prosperity and bringing a staunchly secular military to heel. At his party congress in September, Erdogan said he would forge a constitution that would boost political freedom and democracy to replace one drawn up after a military coup three decades ago. He invited opposition parties for further consultations, but opponents fear the replacement of the current system would hand too much power to a man whose intolerance of dissent is viewed with increasing concern in Turkey and abroad. — Reuters
