Noticias

As the deadline to submit their candidates in the run-up to the June 7 parliamentary elections nears, political parties in Turkey have been involved in the endeavor of fine-tuning their lists of candidates before the submission deadline. 

According to a recent poll by the Gezici Research and Polling Company, the overwhelming majority of people in Turkey are opposed to the presidential system of government that is being heavily promoted by President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan.

Gezici -- which was subject to an extraordinary tax inspection following its findings of low approval rates for the ruling Justice and Development Party (AK Party) in February -- revealed that 77.1 percent of people disapprove of the proposed presidential system, while 22.9 percent are in favor of it.

El viceprimer ministro turco Bulent Arinç ha anunciado este lunes que exjefe de los servicios de Inteligencia de Turquía Hakan Fidan ha sido reintegrado en el puesto, apenas unas horas después de anunciar que retiraba su candidatura a las elecciones parlamentarias.

"He retirado mi candidatura a las elecciones parlamentarias, lo que considero necesario. Haré todos los esfuerzos necesarios para cumplir todas las tareas que se me han encomendado para servir a mi país y a mi pueblo", ha dicho Fidan en un comunicado.

El presidente de Turquía, Recep Tayyip Erdogan, ha insistido este fin de semana en la necesidad de transformar el país desde una democracia parlamentaria a un sistema presidencial para facilitar "la aceleración del desarrollo del país"; una idea que sus oponentes tachan de anticonstitucional.

Erdogan, que desde que llegó a la Presidencia ha intentado centralizar el poder en su persona más que cualquier otro predecesor, argumentó que un sistema presidencial es el único camino para alcanzar la idea de una "Gran Turquía" a través de las próximas generaciones.

The Constitutional Court has once again refused to hear appeals to remove the 10 percent election threshold, which parties in the country need to surpass in order to win representation in parliament.

The court rejected on March 5 appeals from three minor Turkish political parties, the Democratic Left Party (DSP), the Great Union Party (BBP) and the Felicity Party (SP), citing lack of jurisdiction.

Appeals to the Court can only be made against allegedly mistaken practices or non-implementation of legislation, not directly against legislation, the court ruled.

Ruling Justice and Development Party (AK Party) Spokesman Beşir Atalay said on Thursday that former president and AK Party co-founder Abdullah Gül will not be a candidate in the June elections, citing remarks Gül himself had made in the past.

Speaking at a press conference at the AK Party headquarters in Ankara, Atalay was speaking on recent political developments when he was asked if the former president would run in the general elections slated for June 7.

“He won't be a candidate according to his own remarks,” Atalay said.

En la madrugada del domingo, con el ejecutivo concentrado en evacuar con éxito la tumba del Sha Solimán, el Hemiciclo turco vivió uno de los plenos más tensos que se recuerdan. Se procedía a aprobar 10 de los 132 artículos que comprende la nueva ley de seguridad, una norma que ha sembrado la controversia en Turquía. Tanto como para que los tres partidos opositores, en bloque, se manifestaran en medio del Hemiciclo.

With only days to beginning of official registration for presidential candidates, the Peoples’ Democracy Party (HDP), which is expected to play a kingmaker role in the upcoming presidential elections, has said it will announce its presidential candidate over the weekend.

The ruling Justice and Development Party (AKP) is proceeding on its “presidency road” without worrying about individual concerns and who will lead the party after the elections, Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdoğan said on June 21. 

Speaking to his party’s Istanbul provincial members, Erdoğan said the AKP would continue on its road regardless of who will lead it.