We have suffered – do not do the same

Warnings about the presidential system from Azeri lawyer Aliyev, who spent two years in jail for his opposition views

cumhuriyet.com.tr

HUMAN RIGHTS ACTIVIST
İntigam Aliyev is a lawyer who has brought and won many cases at the European Court of Human Rights over human rights violations in Azerbaijan. Aliyev, whose fight for human rights led to him spending two years in jail, warned Turkish voters from his country, governed under the presidential system.
RESEMBLANCE WITH AZERBAIJAN
Aliyev, saying, ‘We underwent this and have been paying the price for a long time,’ commented, ‘In Azerbaijan, the president has de facto unlimited powers and control mechanisms are weak. The debates now taking place in Turkey resemble those that went on in Azerbaijan at the time.’
THEY CAN DO EVERYTHING
Aliyev said, ‘It is still possible to hold elections in Turkey. Even if the opposition is weak, it has not vanished entirely. But, if ‘Yes’ emerges from the polls, this may not remain the case. Don’t say they cannot go that far – they can. Do not get too parochial when assessing the presidential system.’