Publication

Turkey's constitution-making process has resparked the debate over switching to a presidential or semi-presidential system. This brief cautions against such a switch for two reasons. First, Turkey currently does not have a classic parliamentary model. Second, the parliamentary system is not prone to crises and deadlocks as much as a semi-presidential system, particularly when the presidency and the parliamentary majority are controlled by opposing parties. The parliamentarism vs. presidentialism debate, the author argues, should not distract attention from more urgent questions.