ISTANBUL
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Turkish newspapers on Monday mainly covered President Recep Tayyip Erdogan’s comments regarding a new constitution for the country and a potential presidential system.
Erdogan had made an executive presidential system a major issue ahead of the Turkish general election in June, but the Justice and Development or AK Party had not won a majority to form a government or to adopt a constitutional change.
The country held a snap election in November, in which the AK Party managed to claim a majority to form a government.
“New constitution for the homeland,” was HABER TURK’s headline, quoting Erdogan who spoke to the press aboard the presidential plane on his way back from Ashgabat, the capital of Turkmenistan.
“We need to abolish the coup [era] constitution,” Erdogan said referring to Turkey’s current constitution which was adapted in 1982 following a military coup.
According to the daily, Erdogan said that the ruling AK Party and opposition parties together could devise a new constitution.
In order for a presidential system or the new constitution to be presented to popular vote, at least 330 votes in the 550-member parliament are needed.
Erdogan said that if the opposition did not want a presidential system, a referendum could be held, wrote HABER TURK.
“We should end this contradiction,” was HURRIYET’s headline, reporting that Erdogan “repeated his insistence on a presidential system”.
“We need to abolish this two-headed [system],” Erdogan said. “Newspapers write ‘the relation between the president and the prime minister is so-so’; why would I have a problem with a friend who became my adviser in the party, foreign minister and now my prime minister.”
“The nation should have the last word on the new constitution,” was SABAH’s headline, featuring a photo of Erdogan speaking to journalists on the plane.
“Two different referendums,” was MILLIYET’s headline, quoting Erdogan who said that two votes could eventually take place: one for the new constitution and another for the establishment of the presidential system.
Turkish newspapers also covered the ongoing tension in Turkey’s Kurdish-populated southeast.
“Schools are on holiday,” wrote MILLIYET, claiming that 1298 teachers working at 104 schools had started leaving the Cizre district of the province of Sirnak after receiving an alleged SMS from the Education Ministry indicating they could leave the region for an “in-service training seminar”.
Details vary from one newspaper to another but this has led to speculation that a military operation was forthcoming in the area.
“An SMS and Cizre is empty,” wrote VATAN, claiming teachers in the Silopi district, as well as Cizre, received the same SMS and around 3,000 teachers were in the midst of leaving the two districts.
HABER TURK also wrote that teachers, in both Silopi and Cizre, received the SMS and that schools were on holiday for three days.
“Terror migration in Cizre,” wrote AKSAM, featuring a photo of people carrying their luggage.
Several towns in Turkey’s southeast come under curfew now and then as Turkish security forces combat the PKK terrorist organization.
The PKK - considered a terrorist organization by Turkey, the U.S., and the EU - resumed its armed campaign in late July.
Since then, around 195 members of the security forces have been martyred while more than 1,700 terrorists have been killed, according to official figures.
In other news, Turkish newspapers also covered a Russian warship’s firing at a Turkish fishing boat, reportedly to avoid a collision in the Aegean Sea.
“Provocation splashed Aegean,” wrote HABER TURK on its front page, reporting that the Russian warship had fired warning shots.
The daily also quoted Turkey’s foreign minister, Mevlut Cavusoglu, said that his country was “not in favor of tension”, hours after the Russian Defense Ministry reported the incident on Sunday.
Tension between Ankara and Moscow remains high following the downing by Turkey of a Russian SU-24 aircraft near the Syrian border.
“Fire in the Aegean,” wrote CUMHURIYET, featuring a picture of Russian warship, while MILLIYET wrote “On the edge of disaster in the Aegean”.
