Turkey's justice minister has argued that a long-debated constitutional change would "strengthen the parliament" as well as "judicial independence".
Bekir Bozdag, speaking in a live TV interview on Wednesday, discussed the ongoing parliamentary voting for changes in the current constitution, which dates back in parts to Turkey’s military regime of the 1980s.
Lawmakers adopted the first two items of the constitutional reform package on Tuesday.
The items concern the exercise of judicial power and an increase in parliament seats, respectively. Sixteen more amendments proposed by the ruling Justice and Development (AK) Party will be voted in parliament.
In Tuesday’s first secret ballot, 347 of the assembly’s 550 lawmakers voted in favor while 132 rejected the motion and 66 were absent.
It changes the ninth article of the Constitution -- "the judicial power shall be exercised by independent courts on behalf of the Turkish Nation" -- to read "independent and impartial courts".
Bozdag said it was difficult to say currently that "the legislative and the executive [were] completely independent".
"Now, they will be independent," he said, adding a real "separation of powers" would be established with the new system.
The second item of the package increases the number of lawmakers from 550 to 600 in accordance with the rising population.
"Does it weaken or strengthen the parliament to increase the number of deputies to 600?", Bozdag asked and rejected claims from the opposition parties that the proposed changes would render parliament inefficient.