Turkish ruling Justice and Development Party (AK Party) spokesman Huseyin Celik has said Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan will most likely run for Turkish presidency this summer, Turkish daily Radikal reported, Today's Zaman reported.
Celik told the Radikal daily that the ruling party currently doesn't have plans to change the law on the election of presidents, adding that popular election of the president - for the first time in Turkish history - won't create chaos within the state. He said having both prime minister and president elected by the nation directly won't create a problem of "privileges."
"I think people should [directly] elect the president. I don't agree that we will shift to a semi-presidential model or there will be a conflict between the prime minister and the president when the president is elected by the people. It is fine when representatives of the nation elect the president but not when the nation directly elect the president? There is no need to be anxious about the preferences of the people. In presidential elections, whoever AK Party wants will be elected. Our Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan is number one presidential candidate," Celik told the daily.