Nationalist Movement Party makes U-turn on PM Erdoğan's charter offer

ANKARA - Hürriyet Daily News

The MHP had earlier announced that the party would support the proposal aiming to pave the way for the implementation of those articles instead of holding them until finalizing a completely new draft charter. DAILY NEWS photo

The Nationalist Movement Party (MHP) has withdrawn its support for a recent offer by Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdoğan for rapid parliamentary approval of 48 articles that the Constitution Conciliation Commission managed to reach consensus on. 

“Bringing the 48 articles to Parliament is too soon, untimely and highly unnecessary,” Bahçeli said in Ankara today. “There is no obstacle before Erdoğan if  he wants to leave the table.”

The MHP had earlier announced that the party would support the proposal aiming to pave the way for the implementation of those articles instead of holding them until finalizing a completely new draft charter. MHP deputy parliamentary group chair Mehmet Şandır said June 12 that they had no conditions on accepting the offer, as the idea “originally came from Bahçeli.”

However, Bahçeli said Erdoğan aimed to “be the president, please the [outlawed Kurdistan Workers' Party] PKK and answer the demands of separatists” with a new charter. 

“The charter commission is working,” said Bahçeli. “Having a consensus on 48 articles is no doubt important, but the number should be increased.”

'How dare they?' ruling AKP's deputy chair reacts

Bahçeli’s statement prompted the ruling Justice and Development Party (AKP) Deputy Chair Hüseyin Çelik to hold an unscheduled press conference.

Çelik recalled that MHP Deputy Parliamentary Group Chair Mehmet Şandır had said: “The MHP has no conditions, but how dare they? This proposal belongs to Mr. Devlet Bahçeli. Changing and revising the Constitution is a commitment of all parties.”

With a sarcastic tone, Çelik ridiculed the situation and contradiction between the statements by Bahçeli and Şandır; as he said that such a confusion or communication problem should not exist in a minor party like the MHP.

Bahçeli and the MHP have displayed “an example of significant inconsistency,” Çelik, also the AKP spokesman, said.