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Diyarbakir businessmen join ‘yes’ camp in referendum
The associations came together at the headquarters of the Diyarbakır Chamber of Trade and Industry (DTSO) on Thursday to elaborate on why they support a “yes” vote.
DTSO President Galip Ensarioğlu read out a statement, which said in part: “We will cast a ‘yes’ vote in the referendum to support the steps that will be taken. We will also fulfill our responsibilities and work to ensure the final result comes out as such.”
The joint statement was signed by over a dozen local associations, including the Trade Bourse, the Union of Artisan and Craftsmen Chambers, the Chamber of Agriculture, the Chamber of Pharmacists, the Diyarbakır Chamber of Financial Consultants, the Federation of Southeastern Industrialists and Businessmen’s Associations (DOGÜNSİFED), the Southeastern Anatolia Industrialists and Businessmen’s Association (GÜNSİAD), the Diyarbakır Businessmen’s Association (DİSİAD), the Diyarbakır Entrepreneurial Businessmen’s Association (DİGİAD), the Diyarbakır branch of the Independent Industrialists and Businessmen’s Association (MÜSİAD), the Diyarbakır Businesswomen’s Association (DİKAD), the Organized Industrialists and Businessmen’s Association (OSİAD) and the Middle Eastern Industrialists and Young Businessmen’s Association (OSGİAD).
Showdown of 1980 military coup
Reading the statement Ensarioğlu noted that the Sept. 12 referendum will be the people’s opportunity to take revenge for their rights and freedoms that were seized in the violent 1980 military coup, following which today’s Constitution was drafted. “Turkey is readying to go to the ballot box to make changes to the 1982 Constitution, a product of military rule. Thirty years ago on Sept. 12 the public will was extorted, but on another Sept. 12 the people will vote to decide the fate of the text that constricted them,” he said.
In the joint statement, the associations argued that although they want a brand new constitution, they will endorse the proposed partial changes to the country’s basic law because it will improve democracy and expand rights and freedoms in Turkey. “As organizations that have always sided with freedom of enterprise and expression and the expansion of democratic rights, we support every effort that increases freedoms and paves the way for change,” the statement read.
No political stance
In response to a question on how they expect their statement to be received by BDP officials, Ensarioğlu said they are not taking a political stance with their decision to support a “yes” vote in the referendum and see the prospect of change as a national matter beyond politics.
“The BDP’s decisions are its own. Its officials come together among themselves and decide on a certain policy. But, as civil society organizations, we cannot think like a political party. Our decision, indeed, is neither for nor against any political party. Thus, our stance neither assists the government nor harms the opposition. We support this change because we believe it is important for Turkey as a whole,” he said.
The proposed package of 26 constitutional amendments envisages changes to the structures of the Constitutional Court and the Supreme Board of Judges and Prosecutors (HSYK) to increase democratic representation at both institutions while also restricting the jurisdiction of military courts to solely disciplinary affairs and making Supreme Military Council (YAŞ) decisions open to judicial review.
“The contents of the proposed changes have a more democratic essence than the current articles in the Constitution. In none of the proposals are there any statements that would rescind rights and freedoms. On the contrary, all of them contain important changes to fortify freedoms, expand democracy and bring about democratic legitimacy to the supreme judiciary,” the statement underlined.
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