Senior Turkish deputy urges all parties to prepare new draft constitutions

ANKARA

A top Turkish parliamentarian on Thursday called on all political parties to prepare their own proposals for a new constitution.

Speaking to Anadolu Agency, Bekir Bozdag, who heads parliament’s Constitution Commission, told how the Nationalist Movement Party (MHP) on Tuesday introduced its own proposal for a revised national charter, a goal championed by the ruling Justice and Development (AK) Party.

"By preparing a new draft constitution, the MHP made clear what kind of constitution it wants and presented it to the public,” said Bozdag.

“Other political parties preparing and promoting new draft constitutions will contribute to the process to draw up a new constitution. Crowning the centennial of the Republic of Turkey in 2023 with a new constitution will further strengthen Turkey."

In February, President Recep Tayyip Erdogan urged all political parties to take part in drafting a new constitution, with the MHP leader voicing agreement.

Current constitution beyond repair

Bozdag also called for a new conciliation committee to work on the parties’ various proposals for a new charter.

Such a committee will “make a great contribution to the discussion over the concrete drafts and to maintain healthy debate," he said.

Bozdag said that Turkey's current Constitution is a coup-era artifact, drawn up by an advisory council selected by generals who carried out the Sept. 12, 1980 coup.

"Turkey's current Constitution is not a kind of social contract,” he explained.

“If the new constitution is prepared with contributions by the people and by the representatives elected by the nation in a democratic environment where everyone and every sector feels free, and if the nation ratifies it in a popular vote, then the Constitution will become the contract of the nation.”

Plans call for the new draft constitution to face a public referendum.

Turkey's current constitution is not based on human rights and does not adequately protect fundamental rights and freedoms, said Bozdag.

"It is not possible to make a constitution based on human rights by changing the current constitution. It is also not possible to establish a more secure constitutional order for fundamental rights and freedoms by changing the current constitution,” he said.

“As a matter of fact, this has not been possible with 19 changes that have been made so far. For this reason, Turkey should start over with a new constitution,” he added, speaking of the amendments made to the current Constitution so far.

The bloody 1980 coup that led to the current constitution – which also led to the detention of hundreds of thousands of people along with mass trials, torture, and executions – still stands as a black stain in Turkish political history.

In the coup, torture, mistreatment, and poor conditions at prisons left nearly 300 people dead as well as survivors facing years of physical and mental anguish.

Under the coup regime, more than 650,000 people were detained and 230,000 put on trial for mainly political reasons. Fifty people were executed.