The new constitution that President Recep Tayyip Erdogan is working to pass in Turkey would effectively turn the country into a "sultanate," spelling the end of democracy, the head of the Union of Turkish Bar Associations warned.
"In our books, we have a specialist term for this: This is called a sultanate," Metin Feyzioglu told journalists in the Turkish capital Ankara.
He was speaking as parliament was rapidly approving various new provisions to the constitution to enable the system. So far, the 18 articles received the three-fifths majority needed in a first round of voting and seven have passed a second round, which is still ongoing.
The final articles are expected to be approved by the weekend in the legislative body, where Erdogan's Justice and Development Party (AKP) has a majority. The AKP is backed by some members of the far-right Nationalist Movement Party (MHP), giving it the needed votes.
The two parties, however, lack the numbers to push through the constitutional reform without a referendum. Turkish officials expect the public to vote on the articles in April. Feyzioglu cautioned that this could be "the last free election."
Turkey is already under a state-of-emergency, since a failed coup in July, restricting some freedoms. More than 40,000 people have been jailed since the putsch attempt, with critics saying the crackdown has extended to a wide-range of government critics.
Erdogan and the AKP leadership say the constitutional reform package, which will create a powerful executive presidency, will help bring stability to Turkey.
Opponents of the measures say checks and balances, including the role of parliament, will be eroded and power would be largely concentrated in one office.
"One would seek to totally eliminate the separation of powers," said Feyzioglu, adding that the new system could lead to "instability and chaos." However, he doubted that the referendum would pass.
The centre-left People's Democratic Party (CHP), the largest opposition bloc, is against the changes, as is the pro-Kurdish Peoples' Democratic Party (HDP), which has 11 of its members of parliament in jail.
Some opposition legislators have directly spoken out against what they say will be a dictatorship and denounced the reform package as a means to create regime change.
