Turkish general election

Whether by coincidence or not, a lot of things will start to change both in Turkey and in the world in the next two days.

In Turkey we will have the result of the second round of voting in parliament over the constitutional shift to an executive presidential system.

Then on Jan. 20 the U.S. and the world will see the beginning of Donald Trump's term as president.

Prime Minister Binali Yıldırım has said he expects "no surprise" in the second round of parliamentary voting on constitutional amendments and the package will be approved, speaking just a day before parliament's General Assembly launches a final legislative process. 

President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan and the ruling Justice and Development Party (AKP) remain Islamist at heart. This is more apparent today in Turkey's domestic rather than its foreign policy though. In its foreign policy, there is a clear shift toward pragmatism. 

Once adopted, the sweeping constitutional changes now facing parliament will serve to re-energize Turkey, said Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan on Jan. 14.  

There is no difference between an armed terrorist and a terrorist holding dollars, euros and interest, President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan said Jan. 12, describing the goal of the latter to take over the country.

Despite the prediction by Justice Minister Bekir Bozdağ that the government bloc will have no difficulty in taking to a referendum on constitutional amendments for a shift to an executive presidential model, unexpected speculations have started between and within the parties at Turkey's parliament, which could change the format of the changes.

Turkey's parliament is set to commence two-stage discussions on government-drafted constitutional amendments on Jan. 9 that are set to usher in a major change in the country's governance system for an executive presidency despite oppositional concerns that it will lead to authoritarian rule.

Deniz Baykal, the former chair and deputy of Turkey's main opposition Republican People's Party (CHP), has said President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan is "making a mistake" with his push for a new constitution that would shift Turkey to a presidential system. 

Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan said on Dec. 24 that Turkey will never allow the formation of a new state in northern Syria.

"We will never allow the founding of this kind of state," despite efforts to do so, Erdoğan told Turkey's Foreign Economic Relations Board (DEİK) in Istanbul.

Russian President Vladimir Putin told Turkish counterpart Recep Tayyip Erdoğan in a telegram on Dec.17 that Russia was ready to increase cooperation against terrorism after a car bomb attack in Turkey's central province of Kayseri.