Erdoğan renews call for new constitution

ANKARA

President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan has reiterated his call for a new constitution, emphasizing the need for a "civilian" text.

"Türkiye needs a new constitution to achieve its goals in economy, democracy, global politics, rights and freedoms," Erdoğan said during an event in the capital Ankara on Sept. 18.

Erdoğan and his ruling Justice and Development Party (AKP) have long criticized the existing constitution for its origins in the 1980 military coup.

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

"We want to save our nation from the coup constitution and pave the way for Türkiye," Erdoğan said. "A civilian constitution made by civilians is our debt to our heroic nation."

The president urged political leaders to approach the issue with constructive and moderate attitudes.

"We want to manage the new constitution process with the broadest possible social consensus and conclude it successfully," he added.

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

Initial talks included main opposition Republican People's Party (CHP) leader Özgür Özel, Peoples' Equality and Democracy Party (DEM Party) co-chairs Tülay Hatimoğulları and Tuncer Bakırhan, İYİ (Good) Party's head Müsavat Dervişoğlu and a delegate from the Felicity Party (SP).

Kurtulmuş continued discussions with Devlet Bahçeli, leader of the AKP's ruling alliance partner Nationalist Movement Party (MHP), and later met with AKP officials on May 16.

In June, he began meeting with leaders of smaller parties that lack a parliamentary group, including the Free Cause Party (HÜDA PAR), the Democratic Left Party (DSP), the New Welfare Party (YRP), the Workers' Party of Türkiye (TİP) and the Labor Party (EMEP).

In Türkiye, a party must have at least 20 MPs to establish a parliamentary group.