Türkiye: radical movement in the corridors of politics centered on the new constitution
Movements in the corridors of politics in Ankara intensified with the start of speeding up activities aimed at drafting a new constitution for the country, as debates raged over the Labor Day celebration in Istanbul's Taksim Square and differences in positions. The government, which decided to continue blocking the celebration in the square, and the opposition parties, confederations and unions who want to bring the celebration back to the square.
As part of the growing movement around the constitution, President Recep Tayyip Erdogan met with the head of the Nationalist Movement Party, Devlet Bahceli, at his home in Ankara.
The meeting came to end an earlier dispute over the “silent tension” between the two partners of the “People's Alliance” (the ruling “Justice and Development” parties and the “National Movement”). Held on March 31.
The Erdogan-Bahceli meeting was held on Monday and lasted about 45 minutes, ahead of the start of a round of negotiations on the constitution with the arrival of the leaders of the parties represented in the parliament by Parliament Speaker Numan Kurtulmüz. Starts Tuesday.
It was also announced that a meeting between Erdogan and opposition leader Özgur Ozil, the leader of the Republican Party, would take place on Thursday, without specifying the venue. Ozil wanted to hold it at the old presidential palace in Kankaya, while Leyla Sahin Usta, deputy head of the Justice and Development Party's parliamentary committee, announced that the meeting would be held at the presidential palace in Bestep, Ankara.
Escalating discussions
After President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan announced a liberal civilian constitution that would end the era of coup constitutions, discussions on the draft of the new constitution and the articles to be included in the change intensified.
The Chief Adviser on Legal Affairs to the President, Muhammad Ochum, touched on the new constitution during a Sunday night-Monday night television interview, insisting that the first four fundamental articles of the current constitution cannot be amended, sparking controversy. The “Rule of 50” for electing the president under the current presidential system will not be affected, and the new constitution will include articles to reduce income disparity between groups. of society.
“It is clear that the principles of our republic and our democratic accumulation will be the basis of the new constitution,” he pointed out. That is, its strongest pillar.
Regarding questions raised about whether these statements express Oçum's opinion or the view of the ruling “Justice and Development” party, human rights activist Gorgan Çakıroğlu said: “This is not a personal view, but rather an opinion. of the ruling party”
Different views
In turn, journalist Murat Yetkin opined that Erdogan is using the constitutional amendment as a “smoke bomb” to hide important issues and divert attention from them, and that Öçüm said days before Erdogan's meeting with Özil that the move shows an intention to attract the opposition. , by defending Mustafa Kemal Atatürk's principles and talking about equality in income distribution.
He pointed out that maintaining the “50 percent + 1” condition would allow him to continue the coalition with the Nationalist Movement Party, and as for the fourth section, Erdoğan could run for a fourth term. Definitions about will be changed in the next revision.
He added: “In this way, before meeting Erdogan and starting a new controversy, Özil's goal may be to respond to these words. However, Özil said that he wants to hear from the president the constitutional amendment proposal. During the meeting with the president, his actions will not be constitutional, but rather the economic crisis, political issues, in the municipalities. He clarified to the public that issues and foreign policy.
In the same context, the Nationalist Movement's vice president and member of the parliamentary constitutional committee, Viti Yildis, in an interview with TV, said that there is no article in the draft constitution prepared by the Nationalist Movement with justice and development. A party in conflict with the fundamental principles of the Turkish Republic.
Yildis noted that the National Movement Party would oppose changes to the first four articles of the constitution and Article 66, which regulates citizenship, adding that in the new constitution, “freedoms are fundamental and restrictions are the exception. The constitution will be short and will be put to a popular vote unless he gets a two-thirds majority in parliament (400 out of a total of 600 votes).
Labor Day Celebration
At the same time, controversy resurfaced over the celebration of Labor Day on May 1, known as “Work and Solidarity Day” in Turkey since 2009, in central Istanbul's Taksim Square, where celebrations have been banned. In 1977, the celebration was marred by bloodshed.
Interior Minister Ali Yerlikaya told a press conference on Monday that “Taksim Square is not a designated and declared place for celebrations within the scope of the law for meetings and demonstrations.”
Calls from 54 different accounts on social media platforms were monitored over the past week: “Come to Taksim Square,” he said: “I want to make it very clear that marches and demonstrations will be created within the limits of the Assemblies Law, and we will not allow terrorist organizations to become propaganda arenas.
He pointed out that there are trade unions and labor confederations demanding a celebration in Taksim Square and that the martyrs will be allowed to lay flowers at the memorial, stand in silence and issue press statements, as in previous years.
In turn, the Confederation of Revolutionary Trade Unions announced that it would celebrate Labor Day in Taksim Square, holding carnations in one hand and the Constitutional Court's ruling on the right to celebrate in the square in the other.
Opposition leader Ozgur Ozil held a phone call with the interior minister in which he called on him to reconsider his decision to ban celebrations in Taksim Square.
Ozil had previously said they would celebrate their day with workers in Taksim Square on May 1.
