Turkish PM hails referendum approval as turning point for democracy

Turkish voters strongly backed constitutional reforms on Sunday, handing a government led by conservative Muslims a new victory in a power struggle with secular opponents over the countrys direction. September 12 will go down in history as a turning point in Turkish democracy, Prime Minister Tayyab Erdogan told followers as he declared victory.According to the analysts the outcome is a huge boost for Erdogan ahead of a general election due by July next year. According to analysts, The YES vote which came out of the referendum today is the result of the public's aspiration for democracy. Meanwhile, according to an unofficial tally, the government won backing for its package of 26 articles with a Yes vote of 58 percent, with 99 percent of ballot boxes counted. While the outcome will be greeted by investors as a sign of confidence in a government credited with bringing in record foreign investment and managing strong economic growth, it will reinforce ideological divisions in the deeply polarized country. Erdogan said Turkey had passed a historic threshold by voting to change a charter written after a coup in 1980. The military has ousted four democratically elected governments. September 12, which was tainted with a constitution of a coup, has turned into a bright page, with this referendum, and a milestone for democracy, he said.