Turkish Parliament start debate on the Presidential powers

Turkish Parliament starts debate on the controvertial constitutional bill to give more executive powers to the president. Turkish president Recep Tayyip Erdogan pushing for these costitutional amendments to get executive powers and to introduce presidential form og government in the country. It is expected that new constitutional bill will be put to a referendum in April to get popular approval from people. New constitution will replace the existing one which was introduced after the military coup in 1980.

But it is not going to be a smooth sailing for the government and the ruling AKP prty to approve this bill from the parliament. The government needs the support of the 330 members of parliament to pass it. The government needs support from atleast two smaller opposition parties to get the required numbers. The main opposition parties are opposing these amendments.

The government and ruling AKP party arguing that new bill will establish effective presidential system in the country and will enable to run an efficient government on the pattern of  France and USA. But the opposition parties considering this move as an effort to strengthen the rule of president Erdogan. The president Erdogan is desperately looking to pass this bill to effectively seize the control of the government from prime minister.