Turkey's ruling party has formally launched a campaign urging a yes vote in a referendum to amend the constitution, eliminating the position of prime minister and extending the powers of the president, Al Jazeera reports.
Prime Minister Binali Yildirim waved and threw flowers to his supporters, among an estimated 40,000 flag-waving members of the Justice and Development Party in Ankara on Saturday, to push for the approval of the bill on April 16.
The referendum comes less than a year after a failed coup attempt against the government of President Recep Tayyip Erdogan.
Erdogan has said the changes will prevent a return to fragile parliamentary coalitions of the past, and provide stability at a time of turmoil.