AKP revises constitutional amendment over opposition’s opinions

ANKARA

Ruling Justice and Development Party (AKP) Group Deputy Chair Bülent Turan has said the text for a constitutional amendment is being revised with the opinions of other parties.

“After the text is revised, we will talk to our relevant boards and share it with the public,” he told reporters on Nov. 8.

The law proposal on the use of headscarf brought up by the main opposition Republican People’s Party (CHP) has “technical faults and sides that open the door to banning the headscarf,” Turan said.

Recalling the AKP delegation’s visit to the opposition parties in the parliament, Turan said they deliberately did not present the text of the bill.

“Saying ‘We have the text, say ‘yes’ to it’ does not suit the AK Party tradition. We received the opinions of other parties. We presented these opinions to our president this week,” he said.

During their visits, some parties asked why the AKP did not bring the text of the amendment, he said, adding, “We did not find it proper to write the text and take it. It could have been taken but we considered mutual evaluation would be more in line with democratic procedures.”

A delegation from the AKP under the leadership of Justice Minister Bekir Bozdağ visited the opposition parties on Nov. 2 and discussed the content of the changes, although they did not introduce a document specifying the content.

Bozdağ and AKP officials met the senior officials of the three opposition parties, the CHP, the İYİ (Good) Party and the Peoples’ Democratic Party (HDP), as well as the Nationalist Movement Party (MHP) and the Great Union Party (BBP), which have already announced their support to the changes.

The AKP and its supporters, the MHP and the BBP, do not have enough majority to take the changes to a referendum. They need at least 24 additional votes.

The amendments are expected to concern articles 24 and 41, on freedom of religion and conscience and protection of the family and children’s rights, respectively. A change in Article 24 will provide new guarantees to female public servants and private sector workers that they can’t be restricted by any sort of dress code. AKP officials say this amendment will guarantee both covered and uncovered female workers.