Recep Tayyip Erdogan on Presidential System

Recep Tayyip Erdogan strongly advocated for and successfully shepherded the transition from Turkey's parliamentary system to the current executive presidential system, which was cemented following the constitutional referendum in April 2017 and his subsequent re-election in June 2018. He justified this fundamental change by arguing the previous system was cumbersome and lacked the necessary speed and flexibility to respond to a rapidly changing global and domestic environment. He views the system as a historic achievement and the only administrative reform directly reflecting the nation's will in Turkey's 200-year democratic struggle, asserting that no one can take the country back to the unstable days symbolized by short-lived coalitions.

His position has been that this centralization of power allows for faster, more effective reflexes towards crises, binding the nation's future to the construction of the "Century of Türkiye." The system concentrated virtually all political power in the presidency, abolishing the prime minister's office and allowing the president to issue decrees, appoint key officials, and dissolve parliament. While he has acknowledged some inevitable adaptation problems, his stance has generally been to preserve and develop this system, viewing it as essential for continued progress, though he has also indicated a willingness to evaluate alternatives if a better option emerges.