Parties get advisors for new charter talks

ANKARA - Hürriyet Daily News

Meral Danış Beştaş (L), lawyer and deputy leader from the Peace and Democracy Party will serve as the party’s law scholar in the new constutition works. DHA photo

The parties participating in drafting Turkey’s new constitution have selected prominent constitutional law scholars as their advisors, as part of their preparations for May 1, when Parliament’s constitution-making panel will start writing the text of the new charter.

Each of the four parties represented in the Constitution Conciliation Commission will submit the names of two advisors, but will have a larger list of advisors that they can alternately consult with.

The ruling Justice and Development Party (AKP) is expected to work with Professor Ergun Özbudun, who has previously advised the party about the new constitution. The Republican People’s Party (CHP) will seek help from Professor Ibrahim Kaboğlu of Marmara University and Professor Sibel İnceoğlu from Bilgi University. The Nationalist Movement Party (MHP), meanwhile, has selected Hasan Tunç of Gazi University.
The Peace and Democracy Party (BDP) has named the party’s deputy chair, Meral Danış Beştaş, after its original selection, Professor Büşra Ersanlı, was arrested in the massive probe into the Kurdistan Communities Union (KCK), the alleged urban wing of the outlawed Kurdistan Workers’ Party (PKK).

The commission meanwhile has created a sub-commission to set guidelines for the drafting of the constitution, which will begin May 1. Once a draft is agreed upon between the parties’ representatives on the commission, the text will be sent to Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdoğan and other party leaders for approval.

The new constitution will be drafted in Ankara, in a Parliament building. The commission will start with those articles that will be easier to agree on, while contentious issues will be referred to the party leaders, who will then try to reach a consensus.