Turks vote for constitutional reforms

TURKISH voters yesterday approved constitutional reforms that the government says will strengthen the Muslim nation’s democracy and help its candidacy for the European Union.

“The winner today was Turkish democracy,” Prime Minister Tayyip Erdogan told followers as he declared victory in Istanbul.

The outcome is a huge boost for Erdogan before a parliamentary election due by July next year, when his AK Party will seek to win a mandate to form a single party government for a third term, a result that would be welcomed by investors.