Ruling party wants to complete debates on omnibus bill before Oct. 1

ANKARA

The Parliament’s annual calendar for the new term has still to be set.

The ruling Justice and Development Party (AKP) intends to complete deliberations on a key omnibus law before the new legislative year begins on Oct. 1.

The bill includes over 170 articles on a number of topics, including measures for relatives of the victims of the Soma coal mine disaster in May that killed 301 people, credit card debt restructuring, and the appointment of around 40,000 public school teachers.

Speaking to the state-run Anadolu Agency on Aug. 20, AKP Deputy Parliamentary Group Chair Nurettin Canikli said the public had “high expectations” for the bill and added that the content of the omnibus bill “concerns millions of people.”

Canikli said deliberations would be starting soon on the bill, though Parliament’s annual calendar for the new term has still yet to be set.

“Without waiting for Oct. 1, we plan to debate the bill within the week starting Aug. 28,” he said, referring to the date when President-elect Recep Tayyip Erdoğan will take his oath before Parliament.

Following commission-level discussions, Parliament’s General Assembly first began debates on the bill in mid-July, but had to postpone them as Parliament went to recess.