Turkish presidents to serve 7 years

Turkish parliamentary commission headed by a deputy from the ruling Justice and Development Party, Mustafa Shentop introduced an amendment to the Constitution on Tuesday on the expiration of the term of President Abdullah Gul in 2014, the newspaper Today's Zaman reported.

Gul was elected as president in 2007 before the last referendum in Turkey, when the president was elected by Parliament for a period of 7 years without the right to re-election.

The president is elected for 5 years by popular vote, renewable for another term by the amendments to the Constitution adopted by referendum. The term of Gul presidency wasn't clear because of it.

"We have clarified this issue. The term of office of Abdullah Gul is seven years, and he can not be re-elected," Shentop said. This recommendation is still to be ratified by the constitutional commission of the Turkish Parliament.

The constitutional amendments adopted by the Turkish Parliament in May 2007, accept direct presidential elections for five years, renewable for another term, the presidential election in two rounds, reducing the term of the Legislative Assembly from the current five years to four, as well as change of the current quorum in parliament.


/Trend/