First two articles of package pass in Parliament

Constitutional amendment marathon begins with tension

There was tension in Parliament yesterday as deputies started discussing the Justice and Development Party's (AK Party) 30-article amendment package. The debate and voting processes are expected to take 15 days.

Various deputies delivered speeches on the package yesterday. Talks started with tension, with the Nationalist Movement Party’ (MHP) Oktay Vural making a speech in which he stated that the AK Party had included the signature of its deputy Mehmet Ali Şahin -- who is the Parliament speaker -- when it first presented the package to Parliament administration. Later the AK Party withdrew that application and proposed the package again, but Vural said the AK Party had to explain this. The Republican People’s Party (CHP) also questioned alleged procedural violations in the handling of the amendment package. CHP parliamentary group deputy head Hakkı Suha Okay said there was a procedural error, as talks had begun on proposals filed by party groups before research motions submitted on the package have been read out. Parliament Speaker Şahin said there was no such obligation and told Okay to read the bylaws. This led to a brief exchange of accusations between Okay and Şahin at the start of debate.

Eskişehir independent deputy Tayfun İçli also spoke in Parliament yesterday, accusing the government of attempting to change the Constitution's unchangeable articles. Independent Tunceli deputy Kamer Genç also spoke yesterday, opposing deputy presentations. He made a speech criticizing the privatization of a factory in Giresun.

Another speech, this time in favor of the package, was delivered by AK Party parliamentary group deputy head Mustafa Elitaş. CHP deputy Canan Artıman also delivered a speech bringing up the problem of underage protestors being tried as adults under anti-terrorism laws.

The Peace and Democracy Party's (BDP) Sabahat Tuncel also delivered a speech during yesterday's talks.

She mostly concentrated on the country’s unemployment problem, which other parties complained was an attempt to stall talks on the package. As was seen earlier during talks on a law to clear mines along the Syrian border, opposition parties are expected to make off-topic speeches to slow the process down as much as possible. However, the AK Party is prepared this time and has allocated more time to talks on the constitutional amendment package. The AK Party hopes to hold a referendum on the package in late June or early July to make sure that the changes take place by July 2011, when the next general election is due.

According to the AK Party group’s plans, Parliament will vote on three articles a day. The AK Party hopes to finish debate in nine days, while the opposition can use its rights from parliamentary bylaws to extend the period of talks. Both the CHP and the Nationalist Movement Party (MHP) have already submitted seven amendment proposals each to the package. In other words, the talks that started as a tactical war are likely to continue as such.

The Democratic Left Party (DSP), which is unhappy with the government for not including a change to lower the election barrier for parliamentary representation, will boycott the vote on the package.

The Justice and Development Party’s (AK Party) parliamentary group, which normally meets on Tuesdays, had an extraordinary session yesterday ahead of the start of debate on the constitutional amendment package in Parliament. Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdoğan addressed the opposition in his speech at the parliamentary group meeting, saying his party has tried to reach a consensus with both the opposition and broad segments of society by listening to the opinions of civil society organizations, universities and other relevant groups.

He said, however, the opposition has not responded to any of the AK Party’s calls. “We are faced with an opposition that you cannot find anywhere in the world. You all have witnessed how Parliament’s work has been stonewalled. You have seen what kind of accusations have been brought [against us] in the name of politics. Earlier, the leader of the MHP said no decent person would support the AK Party’s package. We have been the target of a number of insults and ugly remarks such as this.”

He said despite all adversity, the AK Party did not give up its search for consensus. He said the CHP closed its doors, refusing to meet with the AK Party to talk about the package. He said the opposition, which has threatened to apply to the Constitutional Court to annul the package, was using the higher judiciary to overturn the will of the nation. He also criticized the CHP for flip-flopping on the package, one minute saying that they are ready to support it if it is voted on in separate articles, only to say in the next minute that they will certainly appeal it at the Constitutional Court.

However, the prime minister said he believed the voters of the CHP, MHP and the BDP were warm toward the package, despite these parties’ opposition to it in Parliament.

He said the package was crucial to ensure the impartiality of the judiciary, which he said was politicized. He gave examples of structures similar to Turkey’s Supreme Board of Judges and Prosecutors (HSYK) in other countries, including France and Italy, saying some of the appointments to HSYK-like bodies in these countries were carried out by the legislative organ, in the face of criticism from the opposition that with the amendment package the government in fact plans to take control of the judiciary.

CHP leader Deniz Baykal also called a press conference yesterday at his party’s general headquarters, reiterating his earlier call on the AK Party to take out the articles making changes to the structure of judicial institutions from the package.