On 12 September, Turks will vote on a set of constitutional amendments proposed by the ruling Justice and Development Party (AKP), which has been in power for eight years. Since the vote falls on the 30th anniversary of the 1980 military coup, Recep Tayyip Erdogan, the prime minister, is portraying the referendum as an opportunity to reject the military regime's legacy.
Turkey's constitution has been amended repeatedly since the coup. But its anti-democratic core remains intact – and, unfortunately, the current proposals do not dramatically alter that.
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