Constitutional Amendments to be Approved by President Gül

The government's constitutional reform package passed through parliament as a whole by 336 against 72 votes after another marathon session on 6 May. One vote came out empty.

Upon the parliamentary approval, the package will now be reviewed by President Abdullah Gül. If President Gül accepts the package, it will be subject to a referendum since the number of votes for the approval in the Turkish Grand National Assembly (TBMM) lay within the threshold of 330-367 votes.

Referendum 60 days after announcement in Official Gazette

The referendum must be held within 60 days after the announcement of the amendments in the Official Gazette. This duration was shortened from 120 to 60 days by an amendment of the government made in March.

President Gül carries authority to send the package back to the parliament as a whole or partially in order to have certain clauses reviewed. In that case, the process would start over.

Opposition party applies to Constitutional Court

The Republican People's Party (CHP) prepares for an application to the Constitutional Court for a cancellation of the amendments. CHP will submit their application after the likely approval by President Gül.

The second round of voting started on 2 May. The sessions of the first and second rounds of voting stretched over the total duration of 192 hours, including 58 hours of sessions in the second round.