It was stated, in a meeting with ministers, that the support rate to the presidential system is around 46 percent

The reason behind the outburst of Prime Minister Binali Yıldırım claiming that 70% of the Turkish will vote ‘yes’ to the referendum on the transition to the presidential system, which is expected to be held in April, has come to light. It was stated, in a meeting with ministers, that the support rate to the presidential system is around 46%.

The ruling Justice and Development Party’s (AKP) fear for a potential ‘no’ to the presidential system has become manifest before the exact date of the referendum was decided.

Before the referendum that is expected to take place in April, the declarations of the PM Yıldırım and President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan have been interpreted as the guarantee of ‘yes’ to the referendum. However, the results in AKP’s desk do not confirm this interpretation.

Abdulkadir Selvi, an important pro-government columnist, has written about the meeting of the PM with the ministers in daily Hürriyet on Thursday. He stated that the current support rate to the transition to the presidential system is around 46%.

Selvi expects half of the voters of the fascist Nationalist Movement Party (MHP) to say ‘yes’ in the referendum along with that of the AKP. The first corresponding to 6% and the latter to 40%, the total expected support rate becomes 46% according to Selvi.