Speaking at a press conference yesterday at AK Party headquarters in Ankara, Çelik recalled that the CHP had opposed a draft constitution proposed by the AK Party in 2007. Çelik said the CHP at the time refused to assign members to a commission the government proposed to work on drafting a new constitution. He criticized Baykal’s speech earlier this week in which the CHP leader said the opinion of the opposition should also be heard, saying that Baykal has consistently worked to undermine any process to reach a consensus.
“If it is not possible to change the Constitution as a whole, then we will change it piece by piece.” Çelik said the Constitution was keeping Turkey down, saying the country needed a new and more democratic constitution similar to those in advanced countries. “We need a constitution of which we can be proud,” he said.
He said there have been many amendments to the current constitution, noting that other changes may be made in the future. “Parliament has the authority to this. Is Baykal waiting for a coup d’état to change the constitution? In 1960, there was a coup, and a new constitution was written. In 1980, there was a coup, and a new constitution was written after that. That constitution was drafted by a consultative council. For some reason, the CHP thinks that a new constitution cannot be made by representatives voted in by the nation.”
