Opposition’s new governance proposal ‘empty’ text: MHP leader

ANKARA

A joint declaration by six opposition parties that outlined the details of the proposed “strengthened parliamentary system” is a draft of a “weakened Turkey,” Nationalist Movement Party (MHP) leader Devlet Bahçeli said on March 3.

On the anniversary of the Feb. 28 “post-modern coup,” opposition parties announced an “empty text under the name of the strengthened parliamentary system,” Bahçeli said, addressing his party’s parliamentary group meeting.

The nationalist leader criticized the proposal saying, “There is no reference to the Turkish nation, belief, will, national unity and brotherhood in the text.”

There is no concrete and new proposal within the text, he stated.

“The only thing that makes this text history is that it is a declaration of “reinforced instability” in line with the Feb. 28 mentality,” Bahçeli said.

The date Feb. 28 is known for the forced resignation of the democratically elected government in early 1997. On Feb. 28, 1997, the military was involved in the collapse of late Prime Minister Necmettin Erbakan’s administration amid concerns expressed by generals about the government’s alleged Islamist program.

The leaders of six oppositional parties outlined their joint proposal for a system change, putting a signature to a first agreement of the oppositional alliance with vows to promote democracy, human rights, rule of law and efficient checks and balances.

A 48-page document that covers 23 articles detailing the strengthened parliamentary system was signed by leaders of opposition parties at a massive event held in a hotel in Ankara on Feb. 28. It aims to entirely overhaul the existing executive-parliamentary system, which has been in force since mid-2018 under the rule of President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan.

Kemal Kılıçdaroğlu, the leader of the Republican People’s Party (CHP), Ali Babacan of the Democracy and Progress Party (DEVA), Gültekin Uysal of the Democrat Party (DP), Ahmet Davutoğlu of the Future Party (FP), Meral Akşener of the İYİ (Good) Party and Temel Karamollaoğlu of the Felicity Party (SP) came together and signed the document.

Meanwhile, Erdoğan met with Bahçeli on March 3.