Turkish ruling party to put constitutional amendment to vote this week

Turkey's Prime Minister Binali Yildirim said Monday that the ruling Justice and Development Party (AKP) would summit its constitutional amendment proposal to the parliament after his return from a visit to Russia this week.

"If there are no other issues, we will bring to parliament the proposal after I return from Russia visit this week," Yildirim told reporters at Ankara Esenboga Airport before departing for Moscow.

Earlier on Monday, Yildirim said that AKP and the Nationalist Movement Party (MHP) were continuing to discuss the text of the constitutional amendment on the government's desired presidential system change.

"Our proposal will be discussed in detail at the parliamentary committee. Problems can be tackled by discussing. Everything has a solution. We are making efforts to bring the constitution to parliament this week," Yildirim said.

Yildirim and MHP leader Devlet Bahceli had announced on Dec. 1 that the two parties had largely agreed on the constitutional amendment draft.

The draft will be introduced to the parliamentary constitution committee for evaluation this week before the committee will submit it to parliament's general assembly for voting, Hurriyet Daily reported.

The AKP needs about 330 yes votes to bring a constitutional change to a referendum. But the draft is expected to be easily voted through as the AKP and MHP have 316 and 40 seats respectively in parliament.

source: Xinhua