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Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan wants President chosen from members of parliament

Türkiye Materials 12 July 2007 17:02 (UTC +04:00)

( Cihan ) - The decision of who will be Turkey's next president is an issue that should be decided on by the Turkish parliament, Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan said on Wednesday.

Responding to a suggestion by Deniz Baykal, the leader of the Republican People's Party (CHP), Erdogan said the opposition leader should not shut the doors on finding a solution from within the parliament. Erdogan added that if Baykal was not seeking a solution, then the country could go to the polls again.

The government could work on shortening the period of time required to hold a referendum on amendments to allow for a popular vote for the position of president, the Prime Minister said. Having passed legislation mandating public elections for the presidency, Turkey is expected to cast its vote on the proposal on October 21, well after the time set for electing a new head of state.

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