Taking seemingly everyone off guard, Mr. Erdogan mentioned early last week during one of his near-daily speeches that “it may be time for Turkey to reopen the debate about a new Constitution”. It went into force barely a year later when Mr. Erdogan won re-election, with the amendments allowing him to consolidate his power. ‘Change the agenda’Few think this is what Mr. Erdogan has in mind. DEVA was launched last year by Ali Babacan, a former Erdogan ally who won the West’s trust as Economy Minister. Mr. Sahin dismissed Mr. Erdogan’s move as “absolutely not a sincere idea”, describing it instead as a belated response to opposition parties’ attempts to dilute the executive presidency.

Source: The Hindu February 11, 2021 17:14 UTC