We were to have a new constitution

Prime Minister Ahmet Davutoğlu asked for meetings with opposition parties. According to news reports, the meetings will take place on Dec. 30. 

What will be said in the meetings is more or less known because the prime minister pointed them out. Waters will be tested about the budget, certain arrangements and amendments in the parliament’s internal regulations, reforms and especially “the new constitution.” 

Before anything else, even from the point of democratic maturity, this is significant. 

There is no harm in dialogue, there can only be benefit from it. Even it has the effect of a moisturizing cream for the social cracks, we should, nevertheless, celebrate it. 

Once upon a time, the Justice and Development Party (AKP) was enthusiastic about the reform packages to harmonize with the EU (compulsory or not, let’s not go into that). When these packages were brought to the parliament by the government, the opposition gave the necessary support.

In other words, I do not think there will be any problems in the talks on this matter. 

The suggestion parliament’s general assembly days should be divided into “working” and “debate” categories is not the kind of suggestion one would fiercely oppose.

Also, I remember the budget was already debated, so let us also take that aside. 

Well, what about the constitution? Well, there business gets tough.

The main opposition Republican People’s Party (CHP) had said that, except for the first four articles of the current constitution and “the president,” they were ready to discuss it. 

We know there was an agreement to a certain extent in the constitution committee talks in the previous parliamentary term. There were also agreements on some articles; however, the persistence on “the executive president” has blocked the work. 

Let us not go into the problems there seems to be between the president and the prime minister about “the urgency and the priority” of the executive president. 

But if business is going to be blocked it will again be blocked there, we know that all, don’t we? 

In his meeting with village and neighborhood heads Dec. 23, President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan was again blaming the opposition (actually the CHP) for the bottleneck on constitutional talks. 

He used these phrases: “Not being honest, delaying the game, lying…” etc.

After the June elections, when coalition talks were held (don’t laugh, yes, they were held, even if they were only to save face) similar accusations were flying on the air, remember.

I would like to make a suggestion, even though I know I am crossing my boundaries.

The talks to be held on Dec. 30 should be held open to the public. As a matter of fact, none of the topics are anything to be hidden from the nation and the national will.

We will see who is lying, who is playing with the ball to delay the game, who is blocking and who is saying different things in meetings and in press conferences so that we can decide for ourselves. 

I don’t think anybody would say no to a new social contract to be written with the consent of all the political parties represented in parliament. 

Let them do this business openly, in front of the eyes of the public, so we will all see who has good intentions and who has bad intentions.

If not, let them publish the minutes of the meetings; let us read, discuss and distinguish who is who.

Let transparency be a genuine concept not used for decorating speeches. Let the decision be made by the national will.