Erdoğan said he believed the package was a positive start, although not sufficient. “It is a very positive and good situation that the fascistic Constitution of the Sept. 12 coup is being changed. I don’t think this is adequate. There are some shortcomings. But what is at stake here is a possible change to an oppressive and inadequate legal text. However, the discussion focuses more on the form rather than the content.
The criticism is directed at the person wanting to change the Constitution. It looks like a fight between political parties and the content is not being discussed. The other parties are opposing it because the Justice and Development Party [AK Party] is making the changes, but we don’t understand what they are opposed to. I say ‘yes’ to this change. I am saying ‘yes’ because I think the government and other political parties should be encouraged to change other legislation that is against EU harmonization standards and against human rights. This is what every artist and democrat should do,” he argued
Asked about the pro-Kurdish Peace and Democracy Party’s (BDP) boycott campaign against the referendum, Erdoğan said this was not a solution. “In the past, no political party could really be in power. There were other governments and forces above it. Now when we vote we will be opening the path for the political parties of the future. Now it is becoming clear that everything can be done through elections. You will vote for the party you like, and that party will rule in accordance with your preferences. There will be a transition to real power from partial power,” he said.
Erdoğan stressed that if the reforms are rejected in the referendum it would not leave Turkey in a good situation. “I don’t see ‘no’ as an option. I cannot understand how some victims of the Sept. 12 coup and of human rights violations are appealing for ‘no’ votes as an alternative. I think this is only because of their reaction to those who are supporting the ‘yes’ votes. But this is not what it is about. We are not voting for a political party here.”
