Erdoğan, Özel set to meet at AKP headquarters
ANKARA
President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan is scheduled to hold a meeting with main opposition Republican People's Party (CHP) leader Özgür Özel at the Justice and Development Party (AKP) headquarters on May 2.
Erdoğan's agenda features his AKP's long-pending proposal for a new constitution. The initiative, introduced in December 2022, currently lacks the requisite parliamentary majority.
It hinges on securing the backing of at least 37 MPs from opposition parties to propel the bid to a referendum.
Preceding the anticipated tête-à-tête, Parliament Speaker Numan Kurtulmuş, who spearheaded negotiations on the new constitution, embarked on a series of consultations with party leaders, commencing with Özel.
In a statement issued after his visit on April 30, Kurtulmuş emphasized that discussions centered on procedural matters rather than the substantive content of the constitution, deeming the encounter "productive."
In contrast, Özel intends to broach an array of topics during his meeting with Erdoğan, foremost among them being a plea for "adherence to the existing constitution."
The CHP has been vocal about the non-implementation of the Constitutional Court's decisions, notably concerning ex-MP Can Atalay, whose parliamentary status was revoked despite top court rulings.
Atalay received an 18-year prison sentence last year for his alleged role in organizing nationwide Gezi Park protests in 2013, before being elected to parliament from the Workers' Party of Türkiye (TİP) ranks during last May's elections while in prison.
Furthermore, Özel is anticipated to highlight economic challenges faced by retirees, advocating for his party's proposal to elevate the lowest pension to the level of the minimum wage, 17,002 Turkish Liras.
The closure of Taksim Square for May 1 celebrations and broader concerns regarding the restrictions on demonstrations are also poised to be raised during the meeting.
Additionally, the burgeoning debts of municipalities, particularly those inherited from the AKP and its partner Nationalist Movement Party (MHP), will feature prominently. Özel is primed to present his perspectives on this issue and proffer suggestions for augmenting municipalities' revenue streams.
The upcoming encounter follows discussions between Erdoğan and Özel during a meeting convened within the precincts of the Turkish parliament last week, coinciding with the commemoration of National Sovereignty and Children's Day on April 23.
