Hundreds of Turkish female protesters in Istanbul have called on the nation to vote “no” in an upcoming constitutional referendum aimed at increasing Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan’s powers.
On Saturday, the protesters claimed that if the constitutional changes are approved, it will turn the country into a one-party system with all the power being in the hands of the ruling Justice and Development Party (AKP).
Earlier, Turkey’s Prime Minister Binali Yildirim called on the people to vote “yes” in the referendum, during a rally held in a sports arena in the Turkish capital Ankara.
On February 10, Erdogan approved the bill that will change the country’s political system into a presidential one if approved in a referendum, which is set to be held on April 16.
The proposed constitutional changes have been met with widespread protest across the country, with critics claiming that the AKP is using last year’s failed coup to expand Erdogan’s authority and crackdown on opposition.
More than 250 were killed in a matter of a day on July 15 last year, when a group of renegade army and police officers attempted to oust Erdogan.
The coup failed permanently after the president returned to his office and people forced the putschists to lay down arms. Erdogan then ordered a massive crackdown, which has seen more than 40,000 people jailed and some 110,000 others discharged from their jobs.