Turkey's Parliament has voted in favour of constitutional reform in a first round ballot on a constitutional bill that will extend President Tayyip Erdogan's powers. The Parliament approved the final 18th article of the package yesterday. It will now take a two-day break from the talks before a second round of voting during which any changes to the articles will be debated.<br/><br/>The ruling AK Party, backed by the Nationalist Movement Party (MHP), is pushing through legislation. The bill needs the support of at least 330 deputies in the 550-seat assembly to go to a referendum. The AKP has 316 deputies eligible to vote and the MHP has 39. <br/><br/>Turkey's opposition, however says that the reform could put the country at risk of growing authoritarianism. The main opposition CHP and the pro-Kurdish HDP, the second largest opposition party, strongly oppose the changes.<br/><br/>The proposed changes will create an executive presidency for the first time in modern Turkey. The President will have the power to appoint and fire ministers, while the post of Prime Minister will be abolished.