Turkey needs a new constitution and the government's most important mission is to change the constitution and bring about an executive presidency, incoming Prime Minister Binali Yildirim said on Sunday.

Yildirim made the comment at a special congress of the ruling AK Party where he is the sole candidate to become leader of the party, and therefore premier. Yildirim is a longtime ally of President Tayyip Erdogan, who founded the party and has repeatedly called for an executive presidency.