Parliament speaker set to visit parties for charter talks

ANKARA

Parliament Speaker Numan Kurtulmuş is set to embark on a series of visits to party groups, commencing on Oct. 3, in a push for a new constitution and amendments to parliamentary bylaws.

The initiative follows President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan's reiterated calls for a brand new constitution during the commencement of the second chapter activities of the Turkish parliament's 28th term on Oct. 1.

"It is the primary responsibility of all of us to save Türkiye from the current constitutional hump that the coup administration put on our nation 41 years ago on Sept. 12 [1980]," Erdoğan emphasized during his speech at the reopening ceremony of the parliament.

The ruling People's Alliance, led by the Justice and Development Party (AKP) and its ally Nationalist Movement Party (MHP), proposed the constitutional change in December 2022. The proposal seeks constitutional guarantees for the headscarf. However, it requires a minimum of 400 votes for acceptance, with the current tally of supporting deputies from the People's Alliance standing at 323.

Accordingly, Kurtulmuş will engage with party groups to garner support for the constitutional change and amendments to the parliamentary bylaws. The discussions during these visits are expected to focus on various alternatives concerning the methods, procedures and timelines for the proposed modifications.

Erdoğan expressed his disappointment with the lack of cooperation from the opposition regarding the issue, stating, "We have not lost hope." The president urged all MPs and societal segments to support the constitutional proposal constructively.