So far without a "cat in a transformer booth"

Today in Turkey they vote for or against amendments to the Constitution, which will change the system of government in the country. The parliamentary republic can become presidential. Supporters of the head of state Recep Tayyip Erdogan urge voters to “change the course of history”, while the opposition convinces to abandon the reform in order to prevent complete centralization of power.

In Turkey, a constitutional referendum takes place, as a result of which it will be decided whether the current president of the country will receive new powers. Citizens will be offered to vote for or against 18 amendments to the Constitution, which provide for the country's transition from parliamentary to the presidential republic. Reform will lead to the largest changes in the management of Turkey over the past 100 years.

At the moment, there are no reports of mass violations - how voters are joking in social networks until "the cat climbed into a transformer booth," hinting at the incident in 2014. Then, in Ankara, during the municipal elections, they unexpectedly turned off the light, after which the playing party of justice and development unexpectedly gained the majority. Then the authorities explained Blackout with a cat who was stuck in the transformer.

If the majority of the voters say “yes” of the new Constitution, the president will be not only the head of state, but also the head of the executive branch. The position of Prime Minister is abolished, instead of him the president will appoint vice presidents himself. In addition, he will be able to dismiss ministers with his decision, he will independently declare a state of emergency and appoint senior officials. Finally, the term of the presidency is increasing from four to five years, it will be possible to occupy this position in a row. The accepted changes can enter into force in 2019 simultaneously with the new presidential elections, which will give the opportunity to Erdogan, if he wins again, to stay in his post until 2029.

Bulletins with the words "yes" and "no"

Despite the official ban on publishing any campaign materials on the voting day, the Turkish media today came out with motivating headlines in the first lanes. So, pro -government newspapers published a photograph of Erdogan on the first page, accompanying them with calls to go to polling stations for the sake of "strong Turkey" and "one people, one homeland and one flag." Some publications in almost open text urged to support reforms - "Yes! Now the people will say their word." The opposition media, which have recently been subjected to special pressure in Turkey, were mostly concise. Most of them came out with neutral headlines like "it's time to say their word to the people." The opposition newspaper Cumhuriyet designated its position more clearly, the material on the first lane was called the Voting for the Republic, implying the parliamentary system of government, created by Mustafa Kemale Ataturk.

Meanwhile, the main polemic in the media unfolded on the eve of the vote. On the pages of opposition and pro -government publications, journalists gave arguments both in favor of reform and against. For example, journalist Yusuf Kaplan in the pro -government newspaper Yeni şafak emphasized the imperialist ambitions of readers. He argued that after the Ottoman Empire was destroyed, in the region where Türkiye was located, "hell came." Kaplan invited readers to say yes, so that Türkiye could “take a step towards the future and independence” in order to stop the “colonization” of the West, for which Muslims became a real nightmare. The publicist invited his fellow citizens to take the fate of the country into their own hands and "change history." “This country will no longer receive orders from Tel Aviv, Washington, Brussels and London,” he promised. The writer and journalist Engin Ardych in his column in the Sabah newspaper accused the opposition of opposing new amendments to the Constitution, opponents of the authorities create the illusion that democracy under threat and Turkey may begin an internal conflict.

Agitation in support of constitutional reform

In response, opposition journalists collapsed with a sharp criticism of the centralization of the authorities, to which the transition to the presidential republic. The famous Turkish publicist Ugur Dundar in his material in the opposition newspaper Sözcü notes that after the reform of the constitutional state there will be no more. The President and the ruling party of the PSR will appoint members of the Supreme Council of judges and prosecutors, as well as judges of the Constitutional Court. In addition, loopholes in the new Constitution will give Erdogan the opportunity to actually be in power for three terms - until 2035. Finally, opponents of the reform are convinced that its implementation will lead to the territorial division of Turkey into individual regions with their own management - primarily to the department of the part of the country where the Kurds live. Journalist Soner Yalchyn, known for his investigations, is convinced that the referendum and large -scale centralization of the authorities, when the president will practically "appoint everyone", is a "big game", as a result of which Türkiye will lose its territory.

Similar arguments were given in campaign materials that supporters and opponents of changes in the Constitution distributed on the eve of the referendum. In social networks, voters noted that there were no explanations in the official leaflets of the PSR why amendments to the Constitution were only a promise of a great future Turkey. In opposition materials, on the contrary, detailed explanations were given why the reform would be addicted to the country. At the same time, as some users reported, representatives of city municipalities often fought with street campaigning "against", tearing off opposition posters and leaving those that contained calls to vote for.

In addition to the methods of agitation and the result of the voting of the inhabitants of Turkey, it also worries what will happen immediately at the end of the referendum. Thus, some of the voters fear that the vote on April 17 can turn into unrest and even bloodshed. According to users of social networks, such a scenario is likely both with negative referendum results and with positive ones. In the first case, the country's residents are afraid of the rebellious of Erdogan supporters, who, according to some, may begin to eliminate the most famous oppositionists. At the same time, there are those who are afraid that if the majority vote for changes in the Constitution, then the opposition are primarily “Kemalists” (supporters of Kemal Ataturk), will go out into the streets and arrange mass protests, which, in turn, will tightly suppress power. Those who fears the riots were in advance of money from accounts, purchased products and, voting in the morning, leave the cities. Thus, they expect to protect themselves and their loved ones.

As noted in social networks, on the eve of the vote, the government and the opposition were practically “nostrils to the nostril”: according to independent sociological polls, those who were going to say “no” to Erdogan's reforms, there were a little more than 50% (from 51 to 53). That is why a foreign campaign among the inhabitants of Turkey who live in Europe was so important for Erdogan. Their support can bring him 3% necessary for victory (voting in these sites passed on April 9, the results will be announced along with nationwide).