AKP plans talks with parties on new constitution post-Eid

ANKARA

After the Eid al-Fitr holiday in April 12, ruling Justice and Development Party (AKP) officials are set to embark on a series of discussions with other political parties regarding the formulation of a new constitution, sources have confirmed.

Eid al-Fitr, the religious holiday marking the holy month of Ramadan's end, is scheduled to commence on April 10 and culminate on April 12.

Subsequently, the AKP will initiate talks with various political factions individually, led by parliamentary leaders, according to sources cited by private broadcaster CNN Türk.

The proposed new constitution, envisioned as a complete rewrite rather than a mere amendment, is slated to consist of 90 to 100 articles, they added.

The initiative stems from the ruling People's Alliance, which comprises the AKP and its partner, the Nationalist Movement Party (MHP). Initially broached in December 2022, the proposal lacks the requisite majority in the parliament and requires the backing of at least 37 MPs from other parties to advance a constitutional amendment to a referendum.

The sources anticipate that political parties will be granted a three-month window to draft their own proposals before the establishment of a parliamentary commission to outline the requisite themes for inclusion in the constitution.

Subsequently, the texts formulated by the political parties will be submitted to the parliamentary presidency, with expectations of soliciting input from non-governmental organizations.

The endeavor aligns with President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan's persistent calls for a brand-new charter, reiterated during the commencement of the Turkish parliament's 28th term activities in last October.

"It is the primary responsibility of all of us to save Türkiye from the current constitutional hump that the coup administration put on our nation 41 years ago on Sept. 12 [1980]," Erdoğan said during his speech at the ceremony.

For his part, Justice Minister Yılmaz Tunç has previously hinted at a potential revision in the presidential election system, which mandates that a candidate secures at least 50 percent plus one vote from electors.

"[Amending] 50+1 is up to our parliament. All these things can be discussed in line with our new constitutional efforts," Tunç told reporters last November.

Erdoğan, having garnered 49.5 percent of votes in the initial round, had to contest a second round to clinch victory in the presidential polls held in May 2023.

The government's impetus for a fresh constitution gained momentum following a discord between the Constitutional Court and the Court of Appeals, highlighted by their conflicting rulings regarding the continued detention of a Workers' Party of Türkiye (TİP) deputy prior to his parliamentary seat being revoked.