ANKARA
Turkey’s main Kurdish party co-chairman Selahattin Demirtas has said his party's opposition to President Recep Tayyip Erdogan’s desire for more powers is not “personal”.
Speaking in Ankara on Thursday, co-chair of the Peoples' Democratic Party (HDP), Demirtas told reporters: "We are not against the presidential system due to enmity against Erdogan and do not criticize due to personal enmity against the Justice and Development Party."
However, the HDP leader added: "There is no a situation under which a presidential system can be discussed or materialized in the country."
Demirtas said that insisting upon a presidential system would cause tension and described it as an “imposition” which he said was impossible to implement under Turkey's current conditions.
The issue of changing to an executive presidential system has been a hot topic in Turkey; the country is currently governed under a parliamentary system.
Peace process
Demirtas called the dialogue between the Turkish government and Kurdish militants the most important issue for the future of the country and said it should continue rapidly.
The process began in early 2012 in an effort to end the armed conflict with the outlawed Kurdistan Workers’ Party (PKK), which is listed by Turkey, the U.S. and the European Union as a terrorist organization.
Demirtas said his party was ready to “put their hand under stone” to realize security, peace and welfare of society regardless of any future coalition government.
The Kurdish leader also said: "Early elections are not the first choice of Turkey to discuss as the official results have not been released … drawing the country into discussion of an early election will not be useful for anyone."
"We see the benefits of a coalition government and efforts to form a coalition will be among the political parties, not under the roof of the presidency," he added.
