Turkish President Tayyip Erdogan yesterday called for reforms and the creation of a new constitution in the next four years, steps that would move the country closer to the executive presidency he has long sought.

The ruling AK Party founded by Mr Erdogan swept back to single-party rule at a snap election on November 1, taking 317 of the 550 seats in parliament, just shy of the 330 seats required to hold a referendum on changing the constitution.

Mr Erdogan argues that Turkey needs an executive presidency similar to that of the United States or Russia, while his critics fear that will consolidate more power in the hands of an authoritarian leader who brooks little dissent.

“The November 1 election ushered in four years of stability and confidence. Let’s make this period a time of reforms, prioritising a new constitution,” Mr Erdogan said at a commemoration ceremony for Turkey's founding father, Mustafa Kemal Ataturk.