Kosachev: referendum’s results do not give Erdogan comfort

Turkey’s President Recep Tayyip Erdogan is ready to give up the idea of European integration, while seeking to strengthen his power, the Chairman of the Russian Federation Council (upper house of parliament) Committee for Foreign Affairs, Konstantin Kosachev, said.

"Apparently, Erdogan is not only seeking to strengthen his own power but he has also given up the idea of European integration," Kosachev wrote on his Facebook page. He also expects the European Union to be critical of the Turkish referendum’s results. "In any case, Brussels’ first response is quite clear: there is no place in the EU for this new Turkey," TASS cited him as saying.

Kosachev expressed confidence that despite all the possible resistance, the Turkish president would act in a decisive and irreversible manner. 

"The voting’s results are unlikely to give Erdogan comfort since his supporters did not impressively surpass his opponents. He is not absolutely free so he will have to take risks. He is rather good at that but the resistance will grow among heavyweights supporting close interaction with Europe and those standing for a parliamentary system balancing presidential power," he added.

According to the preliminary results of the Turkish referendum, as many as 51.3% of voters supported constitutional amendments replacing the country’s parliamentary system with an all-powerful presidency and eliminating the position of prime minister.