Opposition alliance reluctant to AKP’s call for new charter

ANKARA

The oppositional parties have stepped up talks to coordinate their works to return to an improved parliamentary system as the ruling Justice and Development Party (AKP) and the Nationalist Movement Party (MHP) have voiced their intention for a brand new constitution.

Kemal Kılıçdaroğlu, the leader of the Republican People’s Party (CHP), and Temel Karamollaoğlu of the Felicity Party (SP) held a meeting on Feb. 4 while Good (İYİ) Party Chairwoman Meral Akşener hosted Ali Babacan from the Democracy and Progress Party (DEVA) on the same day. Both meetings have focused on efforts to draft a parliamentary system acceptable to all the oppositional parties.

“Turkey needs a strengthened parliamentary system with a strong parliament and a prime minister as well as an effective execution of the principle of execution of powers,” Kılıçdaroğlu said.

Any effort to change the constitution should surely include a return to the parliamentary system, he underlined, blaming President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan for trying to divert the country’s agenda, including economic problems, poverty, unemployment and lack of social peace.

“Mr. Erdoğan has started a discussion concerning a new constitution. But how can he start such a discussion at a time when he doesn’t obey the existing constitution? The current constitution stipulates an impartial president, but does he act as an impartial president? No,” he stated.

He also recalled that the local courts and the parliament do not implement the verdicts by the Constitutional Court in violation of the Constitution.

“How can we believe their sincerity?” he asked.

For his part, Karamollaoğlu underlined the need for a change in the administrative system and informed that his party’s own work will be ready to be publicized in the coming days.

Akşener meets Babacan

Akşener after the meeting with Babacan stressed the importance of the political parties as the main bodies generating solutions to the problems of Turkey and criticized the political environment that pits all these parties against each other.

“I believe this kind of meetings [between the political parties] is very important for the societal peace. We have observed that we have similar ideas. We both favor parliamentary democracy, which we call the improved parliamentary system,” Akşener told.

She also stressed that the İYİ Party has a study on a draft system which will be made public soon.

Babacan added that the two parties agreed to work together to this end.