Parliament speaker stresses ‘legitimacy’ in new charter, urges ‘non-partisan common sense’

ANKARA

AA photo

Members of the four political parties at parliament should act with “common sense” while drafting a new constitution, leaving no room for doubt over its “legitimacy,” Parliament Speaker İsmail Kahraman has stressed, opening the first session of the inter-party commission tasked with writing a new charter.

“Our goal should be building a system for Turkey’s future that is contemporary, in line with the basis of pluralistic democracy and respect for human rights and freedoms, organized for service to people and which presents a state governed by the rule of law with a powerful and unitary structure. Our nation has tasked us with resolving issues, so we should produce solutions and overcome difficulties,” Kahraman said on Feb. 4.

The current constitution is largely unchanged from the hardline 1982 Constitution passed after the Sept. 12, 1980 coup. The 1982 charter replaced the more liberal constitution of 1961, which also was drafted after a military coup.

Kahraman said there is a consensus in society that the 1982 Constitution should be replaced, adding that all political parties in parliament had promised to change the existing constitution in their election manifestos.

“The requirements of these promises should be fulfilled. Our goal is to establish a fundamental legal order in which no part of society is excluded, which includes every part of society, and which has undoubtable legitimacy,” he said. 

“I have full confidence that the loyalty of the esteemed members of our commission to their own political party will not harm the environment of conciliation in the commission. I believe we will conclude the process of constitution-making by mobilizing common sense and exchanging our views,” he added.