PM bemoans opposition, expresses confidence in public over referendum

“Indeed our conviction, based on opinion polls we have conducted thus far, is that our people will vote ‘yes' for the reform package in the referendum. … The Constitutional Court decision [on the package] did not satisfy the opposition parties. The decision was what the public was expecting. The public always said it should have the final say on the package. We are set to head to the public,” the prime minister stated as he criticized the opposition over its stance against the constitutional amendments.

The prime minister's remarks came on Monday as he chatted with a group of journalists accompanying him on a flight to Serbia.

The chief issue in Turkey is currently the government's reform package, which includes critical articles to amend the Constitution. The existing Constitution has been the target of criticism as it is a remnant of the Sept. 12, 1980 coup d'état and restricts fundamental rights and freedoms.

Turkey is set to head to the ballot box for a public referendum on the amendments on Sept. 12. The package is fervently supported by the Justice and Development Party (AK Party) and a number of minor parties, including the Felicity Party (SP) and the Grand Unity Party (BBP). However, the main opposition parties -- namely the Republican People's Party (CHP) and the Nationalist Movement Party (MHP) -- announced their decision to vote against the package in the referendum. The pro-Kurdish Peace and Democracy Party (BDP) plans to protest the constitutional amendments by not allowing its voters to go to the ballot box on the referendum day.

Erdoğan accused opponents of the reform package of acting hypocritically on the referendum process, saying they first attempted to have the package annulled by the Constitutional Court and then worked to urge the nation to vote against the package in the referendum.

“I wonder how they will dare to confront the nation. What does the nation say? It says the final word on the reform package belongs to itself. So, why do they refuse to trust the nation, and prefer to trust the Constitutional Court instead? They did not receive the response they wished from the court. So, what will they tell the nation now?” he asked.

The constitutional amendment package was taken to the top court for annulment by the CHP in May. Last week, the court rejected the party’s appeal to scrap all of the measures in the package. Instead, it annulled changes which would alter the structure of the Constitutional Court and the Supreme Board of Judges and Prosecutors (HSYK) and said the remaining elements would be put to a referendum as planned.

The prime minister said his party, the AK Party, will prepare booklets to inform the nation about the full content of the reform package and will travel the entire country to tell people about the significance of a “yes” vote in the referendum.

Clashes between parties and grass roots

Erdoğan also drew attention to a divergence of opinion between the administration and the grass roots of opposition parties about the reform package and the approaching referendum.

“For instance, there is an immense difference between the MHP and its grass roots. How do we know this? Thanks to the opinion polls we’ve conducted on people’s expected voting behavior on the constitutional amendments. … The MHP is suffering from a serious loss of votes. I believe the MHP grass roots will show its reaction to the party administration in the referendum,” he remarked.

After the 1980 coup d’état many nationalist figures were jailed and physically and psychologically tortured. For this reason, MHP supporters want the “coup Constitution” to be immediately replaced by a civilian one. But the MHP administration is strongly opposed to the constitutional amendment package, as it was drafted by the AK Party.

The prime minister also touched upon his recent attempt to meet with opposition leaders to discuss the recent escalation in acts of terror, mainly perpetrated by the terrorist Kurdistan Workers’ Party (PKK).

“Let me put it sincerely, I have always wanted to visit all the party leaders. But the main opposition party hid behind various excuses to not allow a visit from me. … Now I am experiencing the same thing with the MHP. I’ve requested an appointment three times to meet with the MHP leader. However, he has refused to meet with me,” he complained. Erdoğan is set to meet with CHP leader Kemal Kılıçdaroğlu, SP leader Numan Kurtulmuş and BBP leader Yalçın Topçu in the weeks ahead.

Upon a question on Turkey’s fight against terrorism, the prime minister said he would refrain from making “assertive remarks” on terror. “We have to fight terror hand in hand with all members of Parliament, the media, academics and members of civil society. This is our joint fight. We [the government] are ready to do anything that is required for a more effective fight against terror. We will do it with pleasure,” he added.

Another issue the prime minister focused on during his conversation with journalists was Turkey’s cooperation with a number of countries, including Iraq, the US and EU and NATO member countries, against terrorism. The prime minister, however, said that Turkey had not had satisfactory results from the cooperation.

“The tripartite mechanism in Iraq is still under way. Did it meet our expectations? No. … When it comes to EU countries, they declared the PKK a terrorist organization, but we see that members of the terrorist group move within those countries freely. Our intelligence groups have conveyed many [PKK-related] documents to those countries. We’ve even sent photographs of their cabinet members arm-in-arm with PKK members. So, how can we trust the sincerity of those countries?” Erdoğan lamented.

He also added that EU countries do not abide by agreements with Turkey to extradite captured PKK members.

“But we will not be discouraged. We will continue to fight terror until we restore peace in our eastern and southeastern regions. Because my people living in those regions are tired of terror,” he said.