CHP MP broadcasts live from key constitution talks at Turkish Parliament after blackout

ANKARA

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Main opposition Republican People’s Party (CHP) deputy Ali Şeker on Jan. 9 aired a parliamentary debate on constitutional amendments live through a system he set up at the General Assembly, after parliament’s decision not to allow broadcast of the session. 

For the first time in talks on the constitutional amendment at parliament, Şeker established a professional broadcasting system with a 3G device, a screen and a camera.

Although the CHP and the Peoples’ Democratic Party’s (HDP) request to have the discussions on the constitutional amendment proposal broadcast live on Turkey’s official TBMM TV (TV station of the Grand National Assembly of Turkey) was accepted, the broadcast was blacked out on Jan.9.  

Most recently, the marathon budget talks and other parliamentary talks were previously broadcast live on TBMM TV.

The CHP had also previously demanded live broadcasts of the constitution change proposal discussions in the parliamentary constitutional committee, but the proposal was denied by the chair.

An 18-article constitutional draft was submitted by the ruling Justice and Development Party (AKP) and the Nationalist Movement Party (MHP) to parliament’s General Assembly in two-stage discussions. In the first vote, 338 deputies voted in favor of the changes, and 330 votes will be sufficient to bring the draft to a referendum in the final second stage of the vote.