CHP fails to agree on citizenship clause

ANKARA - Hürriyet Daily News

CHP deputy Süheyl Batum reportedly disapproves his party’s offer.

The Republican People’s Party (CHP) continues to debate the definition of citizenship as the party drafts its proposals for the new constitution.

The only party without such a definition, the CHP faces a crisis in negotiating the “fundamental rights and freedoms” chapter of the new constitution together with the other parties on Parliament’s Constitution Conciliation Commission.

Süheyl Batum, a CHP member of the commission, has not given approval to nor signed an already-drafted proposal on the party’s definition of citizenship, the Hürriyet Daily News has learned. Batum left for Istanbul after a session of the commission and was contacted by his party with a draft, but he has yet to sign off on the proposal.

Ardent nationalists and liberals in the CHP are stalemated over the party’s definition of citizenship. Batum’s assistants made no comment on the matter when approached by the Daily News.

The ruling Justice and Development Party (AKP) made the first move toward a new description of “Turkish citizenship” by removing the word “Turkish.” The AKP’s proposal to the commission reads: “Citizenship is a right. Acceptance and revocation of citizenship is regulated by law.”

The Peace and Democracy Party (BDP)’s proposal says: “No difference of language, religion, race, ethnic origin, culture, gender, sexual orientation or any similar difference can be taken into consideration in questions of gaining or losing citizenship. The principles of citizenship are regulated by law. No one can be deprived of the citizenship of a country against his will.”

The Nationalist Movement Party (MHP) proposed: “The child of a Turkish father or a Turkish mother is a Turk.”