Turkey's parliament passes law to restructure judiciary, bolstering Erdogan

Turkish President Tayyip Erdogan makes a speech during the opening ceremony of Osman Gazi bridge in Kocaeli, Turkey, June 30, 2016. Kayhan Ozer/Presidential Palace/Handout via REUTERS

ANKARA (Reuters) - Turkey's parliament approved sweeping plans late on Thursday to restructure the high courts, in a victory for President Tayyip Erdogan that critics say will allow him to remove troublesome judges and tighten his grip over the judiciary.

The ruling AK Party has said the law will clear bottlenecks in the legal system. But opponents see it as giving Erdogan even more power at a time when he is seeking a constitutional change to introduce an executive presidency.