Turkey's main opposition cool toward adoption of partial Constitution package

ANKARA

CHP spokesperson Haluk Koç. AA photo

The main opposition Republican People’s Party (CHP) has signaled that it would reject the ruling party’s suggestion to bring the 60 articles that have received the consensus of the four parties in the Constitution Reconciliation Commission to Parliament for approval.

“The CHP stands behind its words on the points that received consensus of the four parties [in the charter panel]. The CHP will express its views towards this direction. Will we move on together with ruling Justice and Development Party [AKP] [without participation of other two parties]? No, it’s out of the question. We will keep our promise to act within the consensus of four parties,” CHP spokesperson Haluk Koç said on Nov. 6 at a press conference.

Koç was responding to a question about whether the 60 articles would receive the CHP’s approval together with the AKP as Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdoğan suggested. Erdoğan last month called on the opposition parties to adopt the 60 articles in Parliament. In response, CHP leader Kemal Kılıçdaroğlu also voiced his eagerness for the adoption of the 60 articles while Nationalist Movement Party (MHP) opposed such a move, claiming that the new Constitution should be legislated as a whole.

Deputy parliamentary chairpersons of the AKP and CHP met last week, and the CHP suggested adding a provisionary article to the package that would secure the release of seven jailed lawmakers, although they did not put it as a precondition. The AKP officials told the CHP that such an article could be included in the package only if a full consensus among all four political parties represented at the Parliament was maintained. However, such a consensus seems less likely due to MHP opposition toward the issue.

The two party’s officials will meet on Nov. 7 again, and the CHP will convey its official view for the adoption of the 60-article constitutional package.

If the CHP insists on a four-party consensus for the adoption of the package, it will show that the main opposition is sidestepping over the issue, AKP deputy parliamentary group chair Ahmet Aydın said.
“If they insist on four-party consensus... How can you do it when one of the four parties closes its doors? In fact, it’s sidestepping. But I don’t want to speak clearly on the issue before they convey their views to us tomorrow [on Nov. 7],” Aydın told the Anadolu Agency yesterday.