Turkish PM calls for ‘non-polarizing,’ timely debates over constitution

ANKARA

Turkish Prime Minister Ahmet Davutoğlu delivering a speech at a dinner where he hosted leaders from the business and labor sectors on Nov. 11, 2015. AA Photo

The forging of a new constitution should not turn into an element that further polarizes society and, to this aim, debates on the issue should not be hastily made, Turkish Prime Minister Ahmet Davutoğlu said on Nov. 11, during a dinner at which he hosted leaders from the business and labor sectors.

“Let’s make such a constitution in which everybody could find themselves. Let’s together make such a constitution that would remind the duties of the state to the people, but not the duties of the people to the state,” Davutoğlu said. “Let’s together make such a constitution leaving aside tendencies of authoritarianism so that everybody would be able to openly express their views, but effective governance would also be ensured,” he said, in remarks delivered only a day after stating changing the existing parliamentarian system of Turkey into a presidential one was not a priority for his new government, while arguing a comprehensive reform process which would meet people’s demands was a more urgent item on the agenda.

“Let discussions be held without prejudices; let the presidential system be dealt with within this framework, let the parliamentary system be dealt with within this framework. But one should take pains to not keep this issue on the agenda before it is time to do so and in a way that would polarize the society,” the prime minister said, underlining the need to “deprive the constitution of being a polarizing element.”