ERDOGAN SAYS HE HAS NO PLANS FOR FEDERAL TURKEY

The Turkish President has stressed that the country’s government has no plans for a federal system in the state.

Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan (Photo: AP)

Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan said that he has no plans for a federal system in Turkey, the Anadolu news agency reported. The statement was made on Friday, ahead of Sunday’s historic referendum.

A federal system “is not on our agenda, it will not be,” Erdogan said during a rally in the central Turkish province of Konya. “We are the greatest advocate of the unitary structure of Turkey,” he added.

As the news agency noted, Turkey is a unitary country, which has not had regional administration with executive powers since the moment of the republic’s establishment in 1923.

The Erdogan’s statements were made just after leader of the Nationalist Movement Party (MHP), Devlet Bahceli, had expressed his concern over allegations that the Turkish government has plans to move the country towards a federal system after the constitutional referendum, which is scheduled on April 16.

The country’s ruling Justice and Development (AK) Party and the MHP support the constitutional changes, which should shift Turkey’s current parliamentary system towards a presidential one, abolishing the Prime Ministry.

Earlier on Friday, Turkish Prime Minister Binali Yildirim also denied any information about plans for a federal system and noted that he would resign from all positions, held by him, if the post-referendum constitution led to such a move.

As the news agency stressed, on Thursday, Erdogan himself said about the allegations and noted that remarks of one of his aides had been “twisted.”

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