Parliament to begin discussing headscarf bill next week: AKP

ANKARA

The ruling Justice and Development Party (AKP) and the Nationalist Movement Party (MHP) have agreed to start the parliamentary discussions on the constitutional amendment package next week.

Deputy parliamentary group leader of the AKP İsmet Yılmaz visited MHP’s deputy parliamentary leader Erhan Akçay at the Parliament on Jan. 11 to coordinate the legislation process of the constitutional amendment.

“We have agreed to take our amendment to the agenda of the parliamentary commission next week,” Yılmaz told reporters after the meeting.

The AKP and the MHP lawmakers submitted a constitutional amendment package for liberating the use of headscarf in public and private space and strengthening the structure of the family by making clear that a marriage can only take place between a man and woman.

“85 million people are in favor of this amendment,” Yılmaz said, repeating his calls for the opposition to lend support to this bill either at the commission or at the General Assembly.

The three opposition parties declined to hold meetings with the AKP on the charter amendments. The Republican People’s Party (CHP) and the Good (İYİ) Party said they did not engage in talks with the AKP after it launched a parliamentary process to strip of the immunity of two opposition lawmakers.

“These two issues are not related,” Yılmaz said.

The AKP and the MHP need at least 24 votes to take the constitutional amendment to referendum. If they fail to get the support from the opposition, the amendment will fail to be legislated.