Erdoğan on Presidential Election with 40 Percent Threshold: It is Parliament’s Job

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President and ruling Justice and Development Party (AKP) Chair Recep Tayyip Erdoğan answered the questions of journalists after the ceremony held for the opening of the new legislative year yesterday (October 1).

Addressing the journalists, President Erdoğan also responded to a question about former minister Faruk Çelik's statement, "In the Presidential Government System, a threshold of 50 percent plus one at the Presidential election will tire Turkey. The threshold should be 40 percent".

In response to this question, he stated the following:

'It requires a Constitutional amendment'

"The place to discuss it is here [Grand National Assembly of Turkey]. Because it requires a Constitutional amendment. We, as the ruling party, only make our own preliminary preparation. We can bring our preliminary preparation here. And, in order to do that, the ruling party and the opposition should join hands and it can happen if it is possible after that. Otherwise, discussing it at Kızılcahamam [AKP headquarters] will indeed tire us."

In response to the question of the journalists "What do you think about lowering the 50 percent plus one to 40 percent", Erdoğan stated that "bringing the new government system approved by the nation a year ago into the agenda again... It will tire the nation. We have just enacted it."

'It is not our job, but that of the opposition'

As reported by the state-run Anadolu Agency (AA), Erdoğan also answered similar questions of journalists at the reception held for the opening of the new legislative year. He stated the following in brief at the reception:

"It was we who brought the current situation to the Parliament, it was also we who brought it to our people. Since it was approved by the vast majority of our people, it will not suit with the political seriousness. If something like that happens, it is not a job to be undertaken by us, but by the opposition."

In response to the question "Then, do you say that we do not need 40 percent plus one, we can win 50 percent plus one in any case?", he said,

"No, I will not question something like that. I mean, who makes the proposal? If it comes from the media, it is another issue... But, it is a job of the Parliament. And who deals with such issues at the Parliament? It is the opposition. The opposition make such a proposal and it is discussed there."

'No cabinet reshuffle'

Answering the question "Will you support it, if it comes from the opposition?", Erdoğan stated that "they are open and ready for evaluating and discussing whatever comes from the opposition." He also refused the claims on a possible cabinet reshuffle, saying "Right now, there is no such thing". (DB/SD)

* Photograph: AA