Turkish Prime Minister Recep Erdogan got “a heavy blow” from his party-mates during a vote on one of the most important points of constitutional reforms in the Turkish Parliament.

On May 3, Point 8 of the constitutional reforms package submitted to Parliament by Erdogan, which complicated the dissolution of political parties, failed o receive the necessary 330 votes. Erdogan’s smile vanished as he heard that the package was rejected with only three more votes against it.

Speaker of the Turkish Parliament Mehmet Ali Şahin did not believe the vote results and recounted them twice.

It is difficult for Recep Erdogan to put up with the fact that at least eight Parliament members representing his party voted against the “pro-party” point. The event caused debates in Turkey.

The opposition Republican People’s Party (RPP) and Nationalist Movement hailed the vote results.

The Taraf newspaper writes that the eight parliamentarians acted in Chief Public Prosecutor Abdurrahman Yalçınkaya’s interests. The newspaper points out that, at Abdullah Öcalan’s call, the Peace and Democracy Party voted against the bill as well.

Abdurrahman Yalçınkaya once hinted that the Turkish law-enforcement agencies are studying materials to bring a claim for dissolving the Justice and Development party led by Recep Erdogan.

T.P.