ANKARA - Turkish Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan on Tuesday night unveiled a reform package, including presidential election by popular vote, that could change the face of Turkish politics.
"Going to the nation is the best way," Erdogan said, speaking after a two-hour meeting of the leadership of his Islamist-rooted governing Justice and Development Party.
The Turkish president is currently elected by the single-chamber parliament.
Erdogan told reporters he hoped to push the proposal for a two-round presidential election by popular vote through the current session of parliament, before early general elections he said should take place on June 24 or July 1.
He also proposed modifying the presidency to run for a once-renewable, five-year mandate instead of the current single, seven-year mandate.
Erdogan suggested holding legislative elections every four years instead of the current five, and asked for a speedy constitutional amendment that would allow an already enacted change in the basic law, reducing the age of parliamentary eligibility to 25, to be applied in the coming vote.
05/01/2007 20:47 GMT