Now that Turkey’s ruling Justice and Development Party (AKP) has sealed a strong victory in the March 30 local elections, attention will now turn to the Aug. 10 election to choose the president of the country by public vote for the first time.

“In view of local elections being completed, and with the next election coming in August to determine the country’s next president, it is time to talk about [whom the AKP will select as its candidate],” Turkish President Abdullah Gul said on April 3. “Once the local election results are officially announced [by the Supreme Election Board, YSK] in late April or early May, we will sit down to talk about all that needs to be clarified [with the prime minister] and will decide accordingly.”

Erdogan approved of this approach the next day. “I also share our president’s approach to discuss this issue first between us to reach a decision,” the prime minister said on April 4. “There are also many people who express their views about our party’s regulations regarding the three-term limit to run for elections. I have stated my position on this issue before. I am for the three-term limit. Yet, if there is going to be a change to this, it has to be done in the party’s general assembly meeting.” 

Let’s now try to clarify what it is that Gul and Erdogan need to discuss. A major issue is that when Turks head to the polls in August to elect the next president, they will be doing so under the current constitution. The parliament’s constitution drafting commission, which was put together in May 2012 by three deputies from each elected party, yielded no conclusive result mainly due to the government’s insistence on changing the country’s parliamentary system into a presidential one.