Will Turkey Vote to Give Erdogan Even More Power?

Turkey’s President Recep Tayyip Erdogan already enjoys almost unchecked power, after surviving an attempted military coup in July 2016 and carrying out a vast clampdown on his opponents. Now the Turkish public is set to vote in a constitutional referendum that would hand Erdogan even more control over the state:

NEW POWERS

On Jan. 21 a bitterly divided Turkish parliament approved the last of 18 amendments, which would replace Turkey’s parliamentary system of government with a presidential system. That would eliminate the office of the Prime Minister, limit parliament’s powers and hand the executive more control over the judiciary.

FIGHTING WORDS

Erdogan’s supporters say the changes are needed in order to reinstate stability. The opposition rejects them as a brazen power grab. The parliamentary debate was so heated that lawmakers came to blows. The vote, likely to be held in March or April, could give rise to even hotter emotions.

VOTER INTENTIONS

The question now is whether a divided population will vote in favor of the new system; some opinion polls show a narrow majority opposed to it. Much will depend on whether Erdogan can mobilize his conservative and mostly religious base–and whether his opponents are able to freely campaign against the proposal. At least 11 opposition lawmakers are in prison, and critical media are being silenced. The new system’s harshest critics say the end of Turkish democracy is at hand. The referendum gives the public a chance to prove them wrong.

–JARED MALSIN/ISTANBUL