How Turkey’s Erdogan Might Get Still More Power: QuickTake Q&A
How Turkey's President Could Get Even More Power
Turkey’s voters will get their say April 16 on whether to abolish the job of prime minister and formally switch the center of executive power to the office of President Recep Tayyip Erdogan. Since taking the job in 2014, Erdogan, who’d been the prime minister for 11 years before that, has taken steps to transform what had been a mostly ceremonial post into what his opponents say is becoming the seat of one-man rule. This latest bid to consolidate his legal authority comes during a state of emergency that’s seen mass purges of political opponents and journalists following a failed coup attempt in July, and as Turkey wages war against separatist Kurdish groups and Islamic State militants in neighboring Syria.
Polls are split and nothing’s guaranteed. Erdogan intensified his campaign in big cities and softened his tone to attract wider support. During a recent rally in Ankara he said that those who vote “no” are equally respectful as those who vote “yes.”