AKP aims to gather input for new constitution

ANKARA

The ruling Justice and Development Party (AKP) is considering establishing a center within parliament to collect expectations for a new constitution, its parliamentary leader has said.

"A center should be established in our parliament where associations, foundations, universities, workers, employers and nongovernmental organizations can express their opinions on what they expect from the new constitution," Abdullah Güler told daily Hürriyet in an interview published on Sept. 29.

The AKP would soon engage opposition parties on the initiative, he added.

"From here, our legislative experts should compile the general information and convert proposals into text," Güler stated. "We need to reveal how we can create a 'civil' constitution."

President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan and his AKP have long criticized the existing constitution for its origins in the 1980 military coup.

The call for a new text faces hurdles as the party lacks the necessary parliamentary majority to advance the proposal. To bring the process to a referendum, it would need support from more than 30 opposition MPs.

Since early May, Parliament Speaker Numan Kurtulmuş has been holding discussions with representatives of opposition parties regarding the proposal.