Speaking after the final results were announced, Erdogan said the Turkish people had made a historic contribution to the efforts to bring stability to Turkey.
The vote, to change the constitution to allow the president to be elected by a popular vote, to serve two five year terms instead of the present one seven year term, to hold general elections every four years instead of five and to set the quorum for a parliamentary vote at 184 deputies, a third of the total, was passed by 19.4 million votes in favour, with 8.7 million opposed.
The overall participation rate across the country was 67.5 percent.
Discussing the attack by the terrorist group the PKK on Sunday morning, which left 12 Turkish soldiers dead and 16 wounded, Erdogan said Turkey would respond appropriately when the time was right.
Commenting on a statement by Iraqi President Jalal Talabani that the PKK will declare cease-fire, Erdogan said, “Talabani’s assessments do not satisfy me.
We want to see the practice now”.
Turkey did not any territorial ambitions in Iraq and had always tried to support that country, Erdogan said, “However, while we were trying that hard, Iraqi central administration’s or the regional administration’s permitting or encouraging the deployment of terrorist organization in the north of Iraq is incomprehensible,” Erdogan said. “Our fight against terrorism in the region will definitely continue with an increasing determination. We will carry on with this fight till the end, no matter what the price is.”
The Prime Minister said he would never sit at the negotiation table with anyone who did not declare the PKK to be a terrorist organisation.
He also rejected calls from Nationalist Movement Party (MHP) chairman Devlet Bahceli that a state of emergency be declared in response to the heightened attacks by the PKK.
“Commonsense should prevail,” he said. “I mean we can not announce state of emergency as some people demand. If this is a matter concerning the security forces, than it is the conviction of the Turkish Armed Forces and security department that will determine this. We will listen to the convictions and assume a stance as the political will.”
