Poll: Support for Turkey's presidential system at lowest level since introduction

The Presidential Palace (Photo: AA)

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The public support for Turkey's presidential system is at the lowest level since its introduction after a referendum in 2017, according to a new poll released by the Metropoll company.

When asked whether Turkey should keep the presidential system or switch to a "reinforced parliamentary system," 57.7 percent of the respondents chose the parliamentary system while 34.5 said the presidential system should be kept, says the December survey.

The support for the presidential system was at its highest with 48.7 percent in the survey in July. It was 42.6 percent in January 2020 and 38.5 percent in August.

The idea of a "reinforced parliamentary system" has been supported by all major opposition parties, which promote an "impartial presidency" and strengthen the separation of powers.

However, there is no clear consensus on the definition and content of the system as parties are working separately on their models. 

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In all nine of the company's polls since April 2019, more than half of the respondents said they supported the parliamentary system. The support rate was the highest (58.6 percent) in June 2019 and the lowest (51.1 percent) in July 2020.

In December's survey, only 45.5 percent of the voters of the Nationalist Movement Party (MHP), an ally of the ruling party, said the presidential system should be kept while 48.8 percent said they supported the parliamentary system.

MHP Chair Devlet Bahçeli was the one who made the call for a referendum for the change of the system and has advocated for the new system since then.

Among the voters of the ruling Justice and Development Party (AKP), the support for the presidential system was 69 percent and 22 percent chose the parliamentary system.

For all opposition parties' voters, the support for a parliamentary system was above 90 percent.

Following the July 2016 coup attempt, Turkey switched to the presidential system after a controversial referendum in April 2017. The opposition has questioned the fairness of the polls as the High Election Council (YSK) deemed not sealed voting papers valid while the voting was continuing. (RT/VK)