Turkey’s Nationalist Party Pushes for Constitutional Amendment To Extend Erdogan’s Rule
The leader of Turkey’s main nationalist party, the Nationalist Movement Party (MHP), called for a constitutional amendment on Tuesday to enable President Tayyip Erdogan to run for re-election in 2028.
In a speech to party members, MHP leader Devlet Bahceli argued that Erdogan should be allowed to run if Turkey achieves economic stability and significantly curbs inflation and terrorism.”Wouldn’t it be a natural and right choice to have our president elected once again?”
Erdogan, who leads Turkey’s ruling Justice and Development Party (AKP), has led Turkey for over 21 years, either as prime minister or president, and cannot legally run for another term unless parliament triggers an early election.
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The MHP-AKP coalition currently holds 321 seats in the 600-member parliament, but a constitutional amendment would require at least 360 votes to pass and be sent to a referendum, making the 57 seats held by the pro-Kurdish Democracy and Progress (DEM) Party crucial to passing a potential change.
Bahceli recently suggested that Abdullah Ocalan, the jailed leader of the banned Kurdistan Workers’ Party (PKK), could be permitted to address parliament if he calls for an end to the insurgency, a potential overture toward the DEM Party.
However, on Monday, Ankara removed the DEM mayors of three predominantly Kurdish cities on allegations they had ties to the PKK.
Erdogan served as mayor of Istanbul from 1994 to 1998 before rising to national prominence and later taking up the mantle of prime minister in 2003. Under his tenure, Turkey shifted from a parliamentary to a presidential system, consolidating executive power to an extent that has criticism from international rights groups and Ankara’s Western allies.
