İYİ Party official says they will support new draft constitution if gov’t returns to parliamentary system

Duvar English

Turkish nationalist opposition İYİ (Good) Party group deputy chair Erhan Usta on Sept. 27 stated that they would support the new draft constitution of the government if the ruling People’s Alliance considers returning to the parliamentary system.

Explaining his party’s expectations for the new parliamentary term which will start on Oct. 1, Usta said “There are issues that need to be changed in the Constitution. If the government considers returning to the parliamentary system, we would support it, but the People's Alliance does not have such an idea.”

Usta also said that they preferred to use the concept of “constitutional amendment” rather than saying “new constitution” because “when you say new constitution, everything is being discussed from the form of the state, its system, Turkish citizenship, and even the Turkish flag.”

“A constitution that is more democratic, participatory, where the legislature and the executive are accountable, and where there is a separation of powers, is a constitution that we long for,” he added.

Usta also said they want the constitutional amendment to be postponed until after the local elections which are scheduled to be held on March 31, 2024 because “this should not be made part of political competition, constitutional amendment should not become an election argument.”

In April 2017, today’s hyper-presidential system was voted in a referendum in Turkey under state of emergency conditions. The system was approved by 51.41% of the votes, abolishing Prime Minister duty for the first time in the history of the Republic of Turkey since 1923. With the 2018 elections, Turkey transited into the new regime.

The ruling Justice and Development Party (AKP) officials and President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan have stated on various occasions that they will work on preparing a new constitution with the opening of the Parliament, and added that they will include regulations on “protecting the family structure” against “perverted movements,” targeting the LGBTI+ community in the country.