Parliament set for referendum break

ANKARA

The Turkish parliament will go into recess until after the April 16 referendum following another busy agenda this week.

In the last month, Turkish lawmakers have approved 225 draft laws regarding international agreements signed with 88 countries thanks to rare consensus among all four parties represented in parliament.

Parliament will discuss two draft laws this week regarding the establishment of a “Turkish Space Agency” and a “High Technologies Research Center.”

A sub-commission of parliament’s Petitions and Human Rights Commission will also convene on March 15.

The sub-commission will listen to representatives of public institutions that do not, or cannot, follow the advisory rulings of the Turkish Ombudsman Institution. 

The sub-commission will also hear officials from institutions that do not comply with the ombudsman’s requests for information and documents.

After this week, lawmakers will focus on campaigns for the upcoming referendum.

Turkish citizens will vote on April 16 on proposed constitutional changes to endow the president with expanded powers.

Of the four parties in parliament, the ruling Justice and Development Party (AKP) and the Nationalist Movement Party (MHP) are on the “yes” front, while the main opposition Republican People’s Party (CHP) and the Peoples’ Democratic Party (HDP) are leading the campaign against the changes.