THE TELEGRAPH: Turkey is preparing to hold a referendum next month on key constitutional changes that will grant its Islamist prime minister unrivalled power in a country traditionally dominated by the military.
Parliament finished a debate Thursday on the constitutional package, which marks the culmination of a seven year drive by Recep Tayyip Erdogan. the prime minister, to make the democratically elected government Turkey's most powerful institution.
Mr Erdogan used his AK Party's majority to pass a set of 27 amendments over the opposition of the country's minority parties. Antagonism between the factions escalated during the debate and three politicians, including the Trade Minister and a Kurdish leader, suffered facial injuries in attacks.
President Abdullah Gul is expected to trigger the referendum within two weeks.
Analysts said that the era of untrammelled military power and extensive interference in the political system by the judiciary would be consigned to the past by the vote. >>> Damien McElroy in Istanbul | Thursday, April 29, 2010
