“We will say ‘yes’ on Sept. 12, 2010, when the constitutional amendments, which we see as benefiting the nation, will be voted on in a referendum,” said the jurists in the declaration.
Ülkücü, or the Idealist movement, is the nationalist youth movement of the MHP. The jurists also reacted strongly to the stance of the MHP, which is carrying out a “no” campaign against the changes, saying they cannot understand how Idealists can say no to the changes although they are the ones who suffered the most as a result of the Sept. 12 coup. The jurists underlined that the MHP grass roots and the party think differently on the referendum.
Speaking on behalf of the group yesterday, Associate Professor Ömer Özkan from Doğuş University said Turkey is on the verge of making a decision over whether to maintain the coup mentality or to bury it.
A referendum will be held on Sept. 12 where the nation will vote on a number of constitutional amendments approved by Parliament in May. Among other things, the reform package includes changes to the structure of the Constitutional Court and the Supreme Board of Judges and Prosecutors (HSYK).
Furthermore, the package would repeal Article 15 of the Constitution, which grants immunity to the generals responsible for the Sept. 12, 1980, coup. Hundreds of thousands, including nationalists, were tortured in Turkish prisons in the aftermath of the Sept. 12 coup, the bloodiest military takeover in Turkish history.
Özkan also criticized the Idealists who would say “no” in the public vote, saying it is not the duty of Idealists to defend institutions that are trying to hinder the nation’s will, as he referred to Turkey’s frequently criticized high judicial bodies.
