Turkish Opposition Agree on Roadmap for Parliament System Return

Turkey’s opposition parties agreed on a roadmap to bring back the parliamentary system, blaming powers accorded to the presidential office for economic crises.

“We are determined to build a strong, liberal, democratic, fair system in which the separation of powers is established with an effective and participatory legislature, a transparent and accountable administration, an impartial and independent judiciary,” the six party leaders said in a joint statement, after a meeting in Ankara late Saturday. “Transition to a strengthened parliamentary system is our common and primary goal.”

Polls have shown President Recep Tayyip Erdogan’s popularity slipping as economic woes, including high inflation, continue to hurt businesses and consumers. Erdogan on Saturday said the value-added tax on staple foods will be cut to 1% from 8%.

Turkey’s parliamentary system was replaced with a presidential one after a referendum in 2017. It came into force in 2018 and gave some of parliament’s authorities to Erdogan.

“Our country is going through one of the deepest political and economic crises in the history of the republic,” the opposition leaders said. “Each day, social, political and economic problems are increasing. The most important reason for this crisis is undoubtedly the arbitrary and unruly administration implemented under the name of the ‘presidential government system.’”

Erdogan’s party is in the People’s Alliance with nationalist MHP, led by Devlet Bahceli.

Among the six opposition party leaders who met were CHP’s Kemal Kilicdaroglu, IYI Party’s Meral Aksener and Saadet Party’s Temel Karamollaoglu — already members of the Nation Alliance.

DEVA Party leader Ali Babacan and Gelecek Party leader Ahmet Davutoglu are both ex-members of the ruling AKP. Babacan was once Turkey’s economy czar, minister of foreign affairs and deputy prime minister while Davutoglu served as the leader of the AKP from 2014 to 2016, before being asked to resign.

The final attendee was Demokrat Party leader Gultekin Uysal. The leading pro-Kurdish party, HDP – estimated to have more than 11% of the popular vote and which could potentially back the opposition’s presidential candidate – was not part of the meeting.

The text of the roadmap memorandum will be shared with the public on Feb 28.

Bloomberg