Since the Justice and Development Party (AK Party) government announced the details of the reform package and initiated a campaign to garner support for it from the opposition and civil society, Europe has appeared as the most welcoming outsider with regard to the proposed constitutional changes. European legislators -- including the Dutch rapporteur of the European Parliament on Turkey, Ria Oomen-Ruijten, and Martin Schulz, leader of the Progressive Alliance of Socialists and Democrats (S&D) group, the second largest in the European Parliament -- have continued to lend support to the government’s initiative. The most recent comments were from EU-Turkey Joint Parliamentary Committee co-Chairperson Hélène Flautre and German Alliance 90/Greens Party co-Chairperson Claudia Roth.
“I support the government’s approach, which involves extensive changes to ensure the rule of law and thus respond to attempts to destabilize Turkey. The repeated political crises threaten not only peace in Turkey but also constitute a barrier in the process of accession to the EU. I consider that the proposed reform on the table by the government may give Turkey the means to take a fundamental step towards democratization” wrote French deputy Flautre in a written statement on Friday, while Roth, in an interview with Cihan news agency on Saturday in Berlin, stressed that the proposed changes are not enough for Turkey but that they understood the specific circumstances in the country for drafting a completely new civilian constitution. Both have underlined the urgent need for maintaining the civilian democratic authority over the military in Turkey.
Flautre noted that the prospect of trying military personnel in a civilian court, as proposed in government’s package, is an “excellent” step for Turkey’s bid to join the 27-member bloc. “The submission of the military to the civilian judiciary is also an excellent proposal to engage Turkey towards the EU” read the statement she wrote on behalf of the Greens/European Free Alliance group, which has 55 seats in the 736-member European Parliament. However, she asked the government to remove the minister of justice and his undersecretary from the Supreme Board of Judges and Prosecutors (HSYK), part of the present composition of the board, because she believes their presence is a breach of separation of powers. Justice ministers are members of HSYK-like authorities in several European countries including Flautre’s homeland of France, and what the government has proposed is in fact an attempt to make their presence on the board rather symbolic.
Roth said they were the most enthusiastic supporters of a new Turkish constitution but that given the circumstances in the country even a partial constitutional change was highly significant. “The power-holders of the old Turkey do not want the new Turkey, which is becoming conservative but also defends the rights of secularists and minorities and wishes democratization of the society. It is a difficult situation. Therefore, the judicial reform package is so important,” she stated.
The German politician also commented on the attitudes of the Nationalist Movement Party (MHP) and the Republican People’s Party (CHP) towards the package. She stated that with roots in fascism, the MHP is apparently not supporting change in Turkey but wants to maintain old authorities and powers and that the CHP’s attitude, on the other hand, is not trustworthy. Instead of making decisions for Turkey’s benefit, the CHP is opposing everything AK Party proposes, she said, adding that even the MHP has developed more than the CHP given the reactionary attitude Deniz Baykal occasionally adopts. She lastly called on Chancellor Angela Merkel to clearly state that “Germany is supporting Turkey’s accession process to the EU, its democratization.”
