VZCZCXRO6798
PP RUEHAG RUEHAST RUEHDA RUEHDBU RUEHDF RUEHFL RUEHIK RUEHKW RUEHLA
RUEHLN RUEHLZ RUEHPOD RUEHROV RUEHSR RUEHVK RUEHYG
DE RUEHAK #1539 1661404
ZNR UUUUU ZZH
P 151404Z JUN 07
FM AMEMBASSY ANKARA
TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC PRIORITY 2622
INFO RUEHZL/EUROPEAN POLITICAL COLLECTIVE
RUEAIIA/CIA WASHDC
RHEFDIA/DIA WASHDC
RUEKJCS/JOINT STAFF WASHDC//J-3/J-5//
RHEHAAA/NSC WASHDC
RUEUITH/ODC ANKARA TU
RUEKJCS/SECDEF WASHDC
RUEUITH/TLO ANKARA TU
RUEHAK/USDAO ANKARA TU

UNCLAS ANKARA 001539 
 
SIPDIS 
 
SIPDIS 
 
E.O. 12958: N/A 
TAGS: PGOV TU
SUBJECT: TURKISH PRESIDENT SENDS CONSTITUTIONAL AMENDMENT 
ON DIRECT PRESIDENTIAL ELECTIONS TO REFERENDUM 
 
REF: ANKARA 1180 
 
¶1. (U) President Sezer declined on June 15 to approve a 
controversial constitutional amendments that would allow for 
direct presidential elections, sending the package to 
referendum instead.  Sezer also plans to apply to the 
constitutional court to annul the amendments on unspecified 
procedural grounds.  Due to a required 120-day waiting 
period, a referendum would occur in October and could not be 
held simultaneously with the July 22 general elections.  If 
the court annuls the package before the 120-day waiting 
period expires, the referendum will be cancelled. 
 
¶2.  (U) The ruling Justice and Development Party (AKP) 
attempted to reduce the waiting period from 120 to 45 days, 
in order to allow a referendum on the amendment package to 
coincide with the July elections.  Parliament adopted the 
change in its final days in session.  President Sezer, who 
has until June 18 to act, is expected to veto the measure and 
return it to parliament's constitutional committee.  With 
more than half the committee members dropped as candidates 
for the upcoming elections and campaigning well-underway by 
others, AKP is unlikely to be able to assemble the numbers 
needed for further action. 
 
¶3.  (U) The constitutional court is currently studying an 
annulment application filed earlier by main opposition 
Republican People's Party (CHP).  CHP claims the amendments 
should be invalidated for voting irregularities.  The court 
will combine the two applications once the president files 
his challenge.  According to Acting Constitutional Court 
President Hasim Kilic, the matter will be put on the docket 
once the court reporter has finished reviewing the case. 
 
Visit Ankara's Classified Web Site at 
http://www.state.sgov.gov/p/eur/ankara/ 
 
WILSON