Parliament speaker continues visits for new constitution talks

ANKARA

Parliament speaker Numan Kurtulmuş has maintained his outreach efforts to garner support for the long-pending proposal for a new constitution, meeting with officials from Peoples' Equality and Democracy Party (DEM Party), İYİ (Good) Party and Felicity Party (SP).

During his engagements with the parliamentary representatives from these parties, discussions centered on the procedural intricacies and guiding principles underlying the drafting process of the new constitution.

The ruling Justice and Development Party's (AKP) proposal for a new constitution, initially tabled in December 2022, has yet to garner the necessary support. The offer is contingent upon securing backing from at least 37 opposition MPs to advance it to a referendum.

Kurtulmuş commenced his series of consultations with party chairs by meeting with main opposition Republican People's Party (CHP) leader Özgür Özel on April 30.

Media reports anticipate that by summer's end, parties will have formulated their positions, laying the groundwork for substantive deliberations in the next legislative session. A joint commission is slated to be established to oversee the drafting process.

In a statement following his meeting with Kurtulmuş, Özel highlighted the imperative of addressing other societal needs amid Türkiye's multifaceted challenges.

Meanwhile, the DEM Party expressed cautious support for a new constitution, with co-chair Tülay Hatimoğulları affirming the necessity for change but cautioning against allowing discussions to serve as a "lifeline for the government."

The newly elected leader of the İYİ Party, Müsavat Dervişoğlu, signaled a willingness to evaluate the constitutional proposal, "provided it includes self-criticism regarding Türkiye's shift from a parliamentary government to an executive presidency," as expressed in a recent interview with private broadcaster Habertürk.