Editing Justice and Development Party (section)

====2007 constitutional referendum====
After the opposition parties deadlocked the 2007 presidential election by boycotting the parliament, the ruling AKP proposed a constitutional reform package. The reform package was first vetoed by President Sezer. Then he applied to the Turkish constitutional court about the reform package, because the president is unable to veto amendments for the second time. The court did not find any problems in the package and 69% of the voters supported the constitutional changes.

The reforms consisted of:
*electing the president by popular vote instead of by parliament;
*reducing the presidential term from seven years to five;
*allowing the president to stand for re-election for a second term;
*holding general elections every four years instead of five;
*reducing the quorum of lawmakers needed for parliamentary decisions from 367 to 184.