If passed, the new presidential system will implement the most radical political shake-up since the fall of the Ottoman Empire, dispensing with the office of the prime minister and centralising the entire executive bureaucracy under the presidency.
"It's understandable for everyone that we will lose our representative democracy with this new constitution".
Turkish voters will decide Sunday whether to replace the Turkish Republic's parliamentary form of government with a strong presidency.
As Toplumsal Esitlik (Social Equality) warned in its statement, "rejecting the AKP's proposed constitutional changes will not by itself halt the global drive to dictatorship and war". The AK Party carries the whole "Yes" campaign, with very limited and separate appearances from the MHP, the smallest of the four parties represented in the parliament. The MHP's support represented a U-turn from its previous views and came in the wake of the failed July 2016 coup attempt that pushed the nationalist party to endorse the AKP's plan to ostensibly strengthen the Turkish state against such potential attempts in the future. His referendum tomorrow to transform Turkey from a parliamentary to a presidential system should be plain sailing. "I want to serve ... to make an individual democratic contribution to this referendum, which is being conducted under pressure, with lies and manipulations". "The governing system's codes are stability and security", he said in another rally, adding that Turkey paid a great price in the past due to lack of both.
Turkey's state-run news agency says five people with alleged links to the Islamic State group have been detained, suspected of planning "sensational attacks" in the run-up to Sunday's referendum. Under the state of emergency, the president has authority over military appointments.
British Woman Fatally Stabbed In Jerusalem
A British foreign office spokeswoman said: "We can confirm the tragic death of a British national in Jerusalem ". The attack occurred as Christians marked Good Friday and Muslims held prayers at respective holy sites nearby.
"Now the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe says if the result is "yes", that means there are a lot of problems". Either way, Turkey is headed for tougher times says Seker. "What if we stay in the current system and in years ahead, we have to deal with another coalition government and instability?" the 57-year-old pensioner said.
Eighteen-year-old student Enes Arslan said: "Terrorists (Kurdish separatists), the party that supports them (HDP) and the European Union are Turkey's foes and they are against the presidential system". Despite having no clear mandate - opponents received 48 percent of the vote - he began changing the political landscape quickly, leading to the coup attempt. More than 40,000 people, including opposition pro-Kurdish legislators, have been arrested.
Meanwhile, Turkey is drifting further apart from Europe, following Erdogan's recent outbursts slamming the governments in the Netherlands and Germany as "Nazis" over their restrictions on Turkish ministers' attempts to court Turkish expatriate votes. The full weight of the state has seemingly been thrown behind the "yes" camp, while opponents say they have faced 143 attacks over the course of the campaign.
Turkish citizens living overseas have already voted. Kemal Kilicdaroglu, leader of the main opposition Republican People's Party, asked supporters in the capital, Ankara. "There are no checks and balances left then". The HDP, which has been hit by mass arrests, is running a much smaller campaign.
Huseyin has sold simit, a traditional type of round bread, for 15 years, and said he would vote no. TRT World spoke with him on the streets of Kadikoy, a secularist stronghold. "I'm here for my children and for a Turkey where the values I was born with remain, where my children can continue to think freely and where journalists and teachers are not put behind bars", said one "No" supporter. The changes also grant authority to the president to issue decrees within the executive jurisdiction, declare a state of emergency and appoint public officials.
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