The notion that the Justice and Development Party (AKP) administration is getting ready to market their leader as the next President on Turkey along with a generous peace deal is shared by a growing number of people. This peace deal is thought to encompass the release of both PKK affiliated Kurds and soldiers indicted with coup attempts, at least those who are not caught red handed.

So far these are rumors. Rumors or not, there seems to be a faulty calculation. The sins of those who wanted to overthrow an elected government by force and changing the constitutional order (again concocted by the military) and those who have been fighting to gain their civil rights –although by an unacceptable method, namely violence- and recognition of their cultural identity are put into the same basket. But then people would not endorse the pardon of PKK affiliated figures when the army members fighting against them “for the defense of the country” are kept behind bars. Hence if the Prime Minister, Mr. Recep Tayyip Erdoğan (RTE), is planning the release of PKK affiliated Kurds with no criminal record of violence in return for the peace deal that is currently being negotiated with the leader of the PKK, he has to open the door for the military personnel in prison charged with coup attempts. This is what is publicly called the ‘Grand Peace Deal.”

Given the figures of a series of public opinion polls (Metroll and Poll-Metric) show that those who do not endorse negotiations with a “terrorist outfit” is far greater than those who support the process. Are these people against a peace initiative? They are not, but they want it through the defeat of the other side. Then a peace deal reached through negotiations is not the preference of the majority of the Turks, including 61% of the AKP supporters (Poll-Metric poll, late January 2013). Despite this truth RTE is taking a great political risk. Why does he do it? Because, solving the Kurdish problem through a Grand Peace scheme may guarantee him the Presidency.

What kind of presidency is envisaged for the charismatic prime Minister of Turkey? It is not the American type, nor the semi-presidential system prevalent in France. His wishes are introduced as the “Turkish type” a la Hugo Chavez of Venezuela with few checks and balances, virtually uniting all powers in his office.

Does he need all those powers vested in different institutions of the state? Theoretically he shouldn’t because; the current presidency was designed for a general that usurped power after the 1980 coup (Kenan Evren). The 1982 Constitution that was concocted under military tutelage had endowed the presidency with powers beyond the president of a parliamentary system. When the election of the President had become a public event in 2007, a kind of mixed presidential system was put into effect. As powerful as it is today, the President of the AK Party will have more authority then any President or prime Minister of Turkey; much more so than the President of the U.S.A. who does not have the authority to abolish the Parliament.

In short what the AKP proposes is Presidency of RTE with expanded and unchallenged powers in return for peace with a capital P. The Prime Minister first tried to rally the support of the Turkish nationalists for his cause. He could not succeed because they stayed aloof of a negotiated peace deal. Now he is trying the win the hearts and minds of the Kurds. This depends on two things: How much he can give to the Kurds that are acceptable for the majority of the Turks, and, whether the PKK will accept what the government offers and cease fire until the elections. These are still enigmatic.