The leader of the Turkish opposition, Özgür Özel, questioned the rationale behind drafting a new constitution when the current one is not being adhered to by the ruling party. He expressed concern that without compliance to the existing laws, creating a new constitution might not address the underlying issues of governance and adherence to democratic principles.
“Why draft a new constitution when the existing one is ignored?” posed Özgür Özel, leader of the main opposition Republican People’s Party (CHP), following a meeting with Parliament Speaker Numan Kurtulmuş from the ruling Justice and Development Party (AKP) on Tuesday.
The meeting, which lasted about 45 minutes, was part of a series of discussions initiated by Kurtulmuş with political party leaders regarding potential constitutional changes. While Kurtulmuş described the meeting as “productive”, and emphasised that the current Parliament has the constitutional power to draft new laws, the focus of his talks with Özel was procedural rather than substantive.
Özel, in his remarks post-discussion, questioned the timing and necessity of a new constitution given the broader societal issues. “At a time when people’s immediate concerns are poverty and inflation, where does a new constitution fit into their expectations?” Özel asked. He emphasised the importance of adhering to the party’s democratic principles and not providing direct responses without thorough evaluation by the CHP’s governing bodies.
“If we are to have a new constitution, we should aim to fully comply with it. Last time, a good effort was made, but it was not followed. We expect full adherence to the existing constitution as our right,” Özel stated, indicating his scepticism about the practical impact of new constitutional efforts amid ongoing challenges.
He also highlighted the importance of maintaining dialogue within Parliament to safeguard democratic processes. “If we don’t engage in negotiations here, democracy’s opponents gain. I value this ground for dialogue,” he concluded, underlining the critical nature of parliamentary processes for overcoming the democratic issues of Turkey.
