(MENAFN- Kuwait News Agency (KUNA)) Leader of the opposition left-wing Peoples' Democratic Party (HDP) Selahattin Demirtas stated Sunday willingness to debate a proposal to amend the constitution but refused categorically turning the country into a presidential system.
The country needs a new constitution to solve the protracted Kurdish problem and the problems of other minorities as well as the civil liberties issues, Demirtas said at a press conference.
However, he criticized President Recep Tayyip Erdogan for advocating turning the country from a parliamentary into a presidential system since Erdogan assumed office in August, 2014.
"Has the presidential system become the country's main issue amid the current problems?" he wondered, referring to the advocacy for the issue by the ruling Justice and Development Party (AKP).
Demirtas said that his party has yet to receive any formal proposals from AKP regarding the presidential system, noting that the ruling party only suggests expanding the powers of the head of state, which is totally unacceptable.
Controversy over the political system in Turkey heated up soon after the AKP regained majority in the Grand National Assembly in the early parliamentary elections of last Sunday.
Prime Minister and AKP Chairman Ahmet Davutoglu called on political parties to work together for replacing the current constitution of 1982 which was written by the then junta and was amended 17 times later on.
He affirmed Turkey needs to get rid of the coup constitution in order to realize the objectives of the country's vision for 2023.
Though the AKP won the parliamentary majority needed to form a government alone, it fell short, by 13 seats, of meeting the 330-seat quorum required to pass the constitutional reforms through a vote by the parliament.
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