Turkey’s Parliament has approved two constitutional amendments giving more powers to the president, who will now be able to sponsor new legislation and appoint the cabinet, local media report. The changes come at the expense of MPs’ rights to oversee the government.

MPs adopted three more items from the 18-article amendment bill during a heated vote on Thursday and early Friday, state-run Anadolu news agency reported. The package of amendments to the country’s constitution is meant to advance President Recep Tayyip Erdogan’s desire for ‘strong leadership,’ according to the local media.

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Article 8 has been particularly criticized by the opposition, as it empowers Erdogan to represent Turkey as “head of state,” according to NTV broadcaster. With the proposed changes, the president will be able to appoint and dismiss cabinet ministers, public officials, and the president’s staff. He will also have the authority to sponsor new legislation and submit it to the Parliament for review, Hurryiet said.

The Parliament, for its part, will lose a sizeable portion of its powers, according to Hurriyet. According to Article 6, MPs will execute their authority over the government only through written requests for information, parliamentary inquiries, and “general meetings” to discuss issues relating to government’s actions, NTV reported. The parliament will no longer be able to issue motions of no confidence either.

This particular article, which largely strips the Parliament of its oversight authority, was approved by 343 of 550 lawmakers.

MPs have also approved Article 7, which sets out requirements for presidential candidates, stipulating that they must be at least 40 years old, hold a university degree, and be Turkish citizens.

This article cancels the current provision that bans the president from having official connections to a political party, which is meant to promote division of power and maintain checks and balances.

“This is a reduction of the state to a political party. It seems you want a party state,” Deniz Baykal, an MP from the center-left Republican People’s Party (CHP), told Hurriyet.

Erdogan said on Friday that he does not rule out calling early elections if MPs fail to introduce a full presidential system, Reuters reported. The Turkish strongman added that he hopes talks on constitutional reform will be finalized this week.

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Adopting the new amendments did not go as smoothly as expected, however. An all-out brawl erupted in the Turkish Parliament on Wednesday when MPs from the ruling Justice and Development Party (AKP) began to openly cast their votes in what was supposed to be a secret ballot on the third, fourth, and fifth articles of the bill.

Opposition lawmakers argued that the vote was held openly to put pressure on ruling party MPs and prevent them from voting against the changes. Selin Sayek Boke, a spokeswoman for the CHP party, called the proposed changes a slide into a “sultanate.”

When hundreds of people gathered outside the parliament building earlier in January to oppose the amendments, the Parliament’s security detail pushed protesters away from the gates and police then fired tear gas and deployed water cannon to disperse the crowd.

The reforms introduced by the ruling AK Party and the opposition Nationalist Movement Party (MHP) on December 30 bring Turkey closer to an executive presidential system similar to that of France or the United States. Yet, the measures still need to pass through two more rounds of voting before being put to a nationwide referendum. </s> "Article 8 [on the expansion of presidential powers] has been passed. The presidential system is a well-established approach in the developed countries. If the parliament would work just as stable, then this week, after a discussion of the remaining clauses of the draft, constitutional amendments would be put to a referendum. If the parliament becomes dysfunctional, it would be possible to consider early elections," Erdogan said as quoted by NTV broadcaster.

Under Article 8, the president will have the powers to appoint and dismiss ministers. The provision passed the parliament early on Friday with 340 votes in favor to 135 against. Voting on the remaining 10 articles is set to continue through the day.

If the entire package is adopted with the approval of at least 330 lawmakers, a national referendum will be held on the issue. However, if 367 or more lawmakers support the bill, it can be passed into law without a referendum.

The controversial bill is described as a power-grab by Turkey's opposition Republican People's Party and pro-Kurdish Peoples' Democratic Party.

Never miss a story again — sign up to our Telegram channel and we'll keep you up to speed! </s> MOSCOW (Sputnik) — According to Daily Sabah newspaper, three Turkish citizens were injured, while Kurdish Firat News agency claimed that the three victims of the altercation were Kurds.

​According to Belgian La Libre outlet, the fight was between the supporters of opposite points of view on the referendum.

Ilse Van de Keere, a spokeswoman for the Ixelles district police reportedly said that the investigation of the incident was underway.

In January, the Turkish parliament approved a number of constitutional amendments that would boost presidential powers, including granting the president the ability to appoint some top judges and declare a state of emergency. Last month, Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan approved those amendments, however, the move was criticized by opposition parties as an attempt by the president to grab power. </s> Ankara: The Turkish parliament on Tuesday approved to extend the state of emergency for another three more months, Dogan News Agency reported.

Turkey declared a state of emergency on July 20, 2016, days after a failed military coup, which Ankara blames on the US-based exiled cleric Fethullah Gulen, Xinhua news agency reported.

Under emergency rule, the government can bypass the parliament to enact new laws and limit or suspend rights and freedoms.

Turkish Prime Minister Binali Yildirim said on Tuesday that debates on a bill to change the Turkey’s constitution will start in parliament next week.

The draft will be submitted to the General Assembly on January 9 and is expected to be approved by the end of the month.

The bill grants extended power to the President and allows the President to remain the head of his or her political party.

The Turkish government said it would put the constitutional changes to a referendum, even if the proposals had gained enough support from lawmakers to pass through the parliament. </s> The Turkish parliament will vote this week to extend the state of emergency for another three months starting from January 19, Turkish Prime Minister Binali Yildirim said on Tuesday. The announcement came during a parliamentary group meeting of the ruling Justice and Development Party, Xinhua news agency cited private broadcaster NTV. The upcoming parliamentary vote will be for the third term of the state of emergency.

Turkey declared a state of emergency on July 20, 2016, days after a failed military coup, which Ankara blames on the US-based exiled cleric Fethullah Gulen. Under emergency rule, the government can bypass the parliament to enact new laws and limit or suspend rights and freedoms. Yildirim also confirmed that debates on a bill to change the Turkey’s constitution will start in parliament next week.

According to the report, the draft will be submitted to the General Assembly on January 9 and is expected to be approved by the end of the month. The bill grants extended power to the President and allows the President to remain the head of his or her political party. The Turkish government has said it would put the constitutional changes to a referendum, even if the proposals had gained enough support from lawmakers to pass through the parliament. </s> Turkey held a referendum, April 16, on abolishing the office of prime minister and extending the powers of the presidency, including giving him powers to appoint members of the judiciary, which many critics — at home and abroad — saw as a power grab by Erdogan.

Now, following a preliminary report into the referendum by the Council of Europe (CoE) and the Organization for Security and Co-operation in Europe (OSCE), the EU has called on Turkey to investigate irregularities in voting.

"Our monitoring showed the 'Yes' campaign dominated the media coverage and this, along with restrictions on the media, the arrests of journalists and the closure of media outlets, reduced voters' access to a plurality of views," said de Zulueta.

The CoE/OSCE report said: "Voters were not provided with impartial information about key aspects of the reform, and civil society organizations were not able to participate."

​"The 18 proposed amendments affecting 72 articles of the constitution were voted on as a single package, contrary to international good practice for referenda. Voters did not have the opportunity to make a choice about each of the distinct issues featured in the amendments," the report said.

"None of the proposed amendments featured on the ballot; voters were simply asked to vote for a yes or no option. The state did not ensure that voters were provided with impartial or balanced information on the amendments and their potential impact, thus limiting their ability to make an informed choice." </s> Under new system he will have full executive powers

Recep Tayyip Erdogan is being sworn in as president of Turkey after his election victory last month which allowed him to keep his post with increased powers.

The inauguration ceremony on Monday was scheduled to be attended by dozens of foreign leaders and dignitaries, including Russian Prime Minister Dmitry Medvedev, Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro and Qatari Emir Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al Thani.

The event in the capital, Ankara, concludes the transition from a parliamentary system to an executive presidency, in line with the constitutional changes approved in a referendum last year.

Under the new system, 64-year-old Erdogan will lead the state’s executive branch and have the right to appoint and remove vice-presidents, a newly introduced position, as well as ministers, high-level officials and senior judges – without parliamentary approval.

The president will also have the power to dissolve parliament, issue executive decrees and impose a state of emergency. The prime ministry will not exist in the new system. </s> Recep Tayyip Erdogan is set to be sworn in as president of Turkey after his election victory last month which allowed him to keep his post with increased powers.

The inauguration ceremony on Monday will be attended by dozens of foreign leaders and dignitaries, including Russian Prime Minister Dmitry Medvedev, Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro and Qatari Emir Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al Thani.

The event in the capital, Ankara, will conclude the transition from a parliamentary system to an executive presidency, in line with the constitutional changes approved in a referendum last year.

Under the new system, 64-year-old Erdogan will lead the state's executive branch and have the right to appoint and remove vice-presidents, a newly introduced position, as well as ministers, high-level officials and senior judges - without parliamentary approval.

The president will also have the power to dissolve parliament, issue executive decrees and impose a state of emergency. The prime ministry will not exist in the new system.

Later on Monday, Erdogan, who secured another five-year term by winning 52.5 percent of the votes in the June 24 presidential election, will announce his new cabinet.

Erdogan previously said that there will not be any members or parliamentarians of his Justice and Development Party (AK Party) in the new cabinet, hinting that it will be made up of ex-politicians and bureaucrats.

The AK Party took 42.5 percent in the parliamentary polls, also conducted on June 24, while its ally, the far-right National Movement Party (MHP), got 11.1 percent, enabling the two parties' bloc to secure a majority in parliament.

Erdogan, who has been in power for more than 15 years as prime minister and president, has repeatedly stressed that a powerful executive presidency will create a stable environment that will allow the country to take "steps for the future in a stronger manner".

Opposition parties, Turkey's Western allies and other critics, however, say that the system grants the president major new powers without the necessary checks and balances, calling it a "one-man rule".

Erdogan begins his new term facing a range of economic challenges, including rising interest rates and inflation as well as a sharply devalued lira against the US dollar.

Taner Berksoy, an economics professor and a columnist, said the lowering of the interest rates would be an obvious priority for the new government.

"Currently, the real interest rates are not enough to keep the inflation down and we are yet to see what the economists in the cabinet will do about it," he told Al Jazeera from Turkey's largest city, Istanbul.

"However, the interest rates will show some drop in any case, because the perceived [economic] risk of Turkey will gradually fall after the inauguration."

But Berksoy added that a drop in interest rates "will also depend on how much the new government intervenes in the Central Bank's policies".

During his election campaign, Erdogan explicitly stated that he would be more active in the economic front if re-elected, and would push for a decrease in interest rates, a move some analysts say is likely to raise investors' concerns about the independence of the country's central bank.

Another key promise by Erdogan in the lead-up to the elections was the lifting of the state of emergency, which has been in place since a July 2016 coup attempt.

The government has since arrested or sacked over 100,000 people, including more than 18,500 civil servants on Sunday.

Ankara says the purges and detentions are aimed at removing supporters of Fethullah Gulen - a religious leader blamed for the failed putsch - from state institutions and other parts of society.

Gulen, who lives in self-imposed exile in the United States, has denied any involvement in the coup bid in which hundreds were killed.

The US and many members of the European Union, as well as international rights groups, have repeatedly condemned the detentions and purges, claiming that Ankara is using the state of emergency as a pretext to punish dissidents.

Turkey's EU membership talks with Brussels have been stalled over the past few years, while ties with the US have also been strained recently over the fate of the Kurdish fighters in northern Syria as well as Gulen's extradition to Turkey.

In advance of Erdogan's inauguration, Galip Dalay, a Brookings Institution fellow and Turkey analyst, said he did not anticipate any major changes in Turkey's foreign policy approach going forward.

"I expect a more moderate rhetoric between the EU and Ankara in the times ahead, particularly as a result of the lifting of the state of emergency and economic worries in Turkey," Dalay told Al Jazeera.

He added, however, that he could not foresee "any major developments" over the two sides' disagreements "since the roots of those problems between Ankara and the EU existed far before the state of emergency".

Earlier this year, the Turkish army and Free Syrian Army fighters launched a military operation into northern Syria's Afrin region with the goal of removing a US-backed Kurdish militia - known as the People's Protection Units (YPG).

Ankara considers the Kurdish Democratic Union Party in Syria and its armed wing, the YPG, to be terrorist groups with ties to the banned Kurdistan Workers' Party.

The operation against the YPG angered the US, but Turkey was also upset with its NATO ally over Washington's backing for the armed group.

Meanwhile, Ankara has also been working closely with Tehran and Moscow to end the Syrian war. At the same time, Turkey's cooperation with Russia has expanded in multiple areas, ranging from energy to defence.

"I expect the US and Ankara to talk more over Syria in the times ahead," said Dalay, the Brookings Institution fellow.

He added that the cooperation between Russia, Iran and Turkey will "be less busy, given that Washington is the main respondent to Turkey's goals in northern Syria." </s> ANKARA (Reuters) - Turkey's parliament voted on Tuesday in favor of extending emergency rule by a further three months, effective from Jan. 19, the state-run Anadolu news agency reported.

Emergency rule, first imposed in Turkey after a failed military coup on July 15 and then extended in October, enables the government to bypass parliament in enacting new laws and to limit or suspend rights and freedoms when deemed necessary.
The Turkish Parliament approves two constitutional amendments which expand the powers of the president to appoint new legislation and select the cabinet.