Turks vote on proposed constitutional reforms

ISTANBUL - Turks began voting Sunday morning in a national referendum on a package of constitutional amendments that has polarised the country and has the potential for far-reaching changes to the powerful judiciary.

Support for the referendum, expected to pass by a small margin, is seen by many as a vote of confidence for the ruling Justice and Development Party (AKP) before general elections next year.

The referendum includes 26 amendments to the Turkish constitution, which was ratified in 1982 following a military coup in 1980.

The proposed changes have divided most of Turkey’s nearly 50 million eligible voters along party lines. Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan, leader of the AKP, conducted a massive publicity campaign to promote the referendum.

The major opposition parties — the secular Republican People’s Party and the Nationalist Action Party — campaigned intensely against the referendum, while the pro-Kurdish Peace and Democracy Party is boycotting the vote.

If the referendum passes as expected, it will be seen by many as a victory for the AKP, in power since 2002.

Polls are open from 7 a.m.-4 p.m. (0500-1400 GMT) in Turkey’s eastern provinces and 8 a.m.-5 p.m. in the western provinces.

The date of the referendum is of symbolic importance for Turks, coming exactly 30 years after the coup.