CHP names charter panel members, vows to stand against presidential system

ANKARA

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With a strong pledge to stand against moves aimed at paving the way for a transition from Turkey’s current parliamentary system to a presidential system, the main opposition Republican People’s Party (CHP) has named three lawmakers to represent the party in a parliamentary commission to be tasked with drafting a new constitution, days after the Nationalist Movement Party (MHP) did the same.

Late last week, Parliament Speaker İsmail Kahraman announced he had sent letters to the leaders of all four political parties represented in parliament for the formation of a commission in order to draft a new constitution.

“I will head the conciliation commission and the commission will determine its working principles itself. I think that a new constitution will be issued,” Kahraman had said.

In a written response sent to Kahraman on Jan. 14, CHP leader Kemal Kılıçdaroğlu said Balıkesir deputy Namık Havutça, Muğla deputy Ömer Süha Aldan and Aydın deputy Bülent Tezcan, also a deputy chair of the party, had been chosen as the party’s members in the commission.

“I want to present to your information that the CHP will definitely stand against centers that would use the process of constitution work, which our people have been waiting for with hope for a more democratic Turkey cleared from coup laws, to pave the way for a path proceeding to a dictatorship under the name of a presidential system,” Kılıçdaroğlu also said.

MHP leader Devlet Bahçeli also underlined their aspirations to strengthen the current parliamentary system while naming his party’s three members as Mersin deputy Oktay Öztürk, Afyonkarahisar deputy Mehmet Parsak and Bursa deputy Kadir Koçdemir in a letter sent to Kahraman late on Jan. 12,.

HDP rules out Kılıçdaroğlu’s charges over secret deal with AKP

On Jan. 14, while saying they had not yet named their members for the commission, the Kurdish problem-focused Peoples’ Democratic Party (HDP) also refuted Kılıçdaroğlu’s reported remarks in which he suggested the HDP had made a secret deal with the ruling Justice and Development Party (AKP) government by which the HDP would lend support to the presidential system in return for the approval of their calls for autonomy. 

“He is the one who kept this country busy for a month with exploratory tours,” HDP spokesperson Ayhan Bilgen told reporters, referring to failed coalition talks between the AKP and the CHP following the June 7, 2015, parliamentary elections. 

“If a relationship and cooperation is to be sought, then the main opposition leader should look in the mirror and bring his position to the table,” Bilgen said. “Our stance on the presidential system is extremely clear,” he also said, adding the HDP had reiterated its objection to the presidential system many times, while Kılıçdaroğlu still called on them to make their position clear.