ANKARA - The Turkish Grand National Assembly began debating constitutional change which would grant wide-ranging powers to the president, state-run Anadolu Agency reported.
As many as 338 of the assembly's 550 lawmakers voted in favor of the motion to launch the debate on 18 constitutional articles, which was drafted by the ruling Justice and Development Party (AKP) and the Nationalist Movement Party (MHP).
The opening debate saw lawmakers discuss the proposal as a whole as well as the separate articles. A second session will address proposed amendments to the bill.
During the discussions, Prime Minister Binali Yildirim said that "the regulations outlined in the offer would solve the problems that Turkey will face in the future."
The AKP has been seeking to replace the current parliamentary system with a presidential one, saying there are flaws in the system that are holding back Turkey's development.