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Most Turks favor amendments to country’s constitution — Erdogan

According to the president, "the nation defended its future and everyone should respect this decision of the Turkish people"

© EPA/SEDAT SUNA

ANKARA, April 16. /TASS/ Most of the citizens of Turkey supported the amendments to the constitution of the republic, Turkish President Tayyip Erdogan said on Sunday.

"According to unofficial data, 25 million citizens supported the amendments, which is by 1.3 million more than those who said "no". Today, a historically important decision was taken on the system of leadership of the country, which has been disputed over last 20 years," he said.

According to the president, "the nation defended its future and everyone should respect this decision of the Turkish people."

Read also

Erdogan says Turkey should have new constitution

Erdogan stressed that the way to this vote "was difficult, but the country coped with it and starts implementing the most important reform of the leadership system."

He pointed out that "for the first time in the history of Turkey, the form of government changes by the hands of the civil political system," and not by the governments that came to power "after coups or after the national liberation struggle."

"All such changes must occur and occur, of course, only by amending the constitution. Under the presidential system, the executive, legislative and judicial authorities are completely separated," he added.

After calculation of 99% of ballots, 51.3% of the citizens voted for the package of amendments to the constitution of the republic that introduced the presidential form of government. Amendments were supported by 24.9 million while 23.6 million voted against them. The turnout at the referendum was 86%.

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