Turkish PM: We want to draft the constitution of 2023 not 1961, 1982

Turkish Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan said on Monday that his government wants to draft a constitution that will be in line with its goals for 2023, not coup-era constitutions like the incumbent 1982 Constitution or the 1961 constitution, Today's Zaman reported.

Speaking at an event organized by the Turkish Exporters Assembly (TİM) in Ankara, Erdogan said: "Turkey still has a serious problem regarding its constitution. As a nation, we are aware of this problem. We cannot achieve our goals for 2023 with the current constitution. This constitution unfortunately does not live up to Turkey's vision and goals ... We want to draft the constitution of 2023 not 1961 or 1982. We will do our best to achieve this."

Turkey's expectations for a long-awaited new civilian constitution have been stronger than ever since the June 12, 2011 parliamentary elections. All parties represented in parliament vowed to draft a new constitution to replace the existing one, which was drafted under martial law after the Sept. 12, 1980 military coup and has long been criticized for failing to respond to today's need for expanded rights and freedoms. The ruling party vowed to draft a new constitution after its election victory based on a broad consensus in parliament. A commission was established to carry out the work of drafting the constitution, including representatives from all four parties in parliament. Earlier this month the drafting process began with the subject of fundamental human rights and freedoms.

Erdogan said his party launched the research for the new constitution on June 12 and they will continue the drafting process of a democratic, civilians and pro-freedom constitution with determination.

The prime minister also noted that his party will never be the one that withdraws from the process of drafting the new constitution but said they will also never turn a blind eye to any efforts from other parties to impose what they have in mind on the nation in the new constitution. He claimed that the main opposition Republican People's Party (CHP) has begun to give signs of dragging their feet on the new constitution, while he implicitly criticized the Peace and Democracy Party (BDP) for saying they will ensure the inclusion or non-inclusion of their demands in the new constitution by the use of weapons if necessary.

"If you came to Ankara with weapons, why did you leave the mountains?" asked Erdogan to BDP, in reference to the party's links with the outlawed Kurdistan Workers' Party (PKK). Recalling a 26-article constitutional reform package, which was approved in a referendum in 2010, Erdogan said this reform package was prepared by his government because other parties in the Parliament refused to give their support to it. "You know our nation approved this package in a referendum with 58 percent support, and we continue our path with that," added the prime minister.
CHP: We wonder who will withdraw from the constitution process

CHP deputy group chairman Akif Hamzacebi said on Monday that his party is sincere about its support for the preparation of the new constitution, noting that those who think the CHP will withdraw from the drafting process are mistaken.

Holding a news conference in parliament, Hamzecebi ruled out Erdoğan's claims about the CHP's dragging its feet regarding the new constitution. "Most probably, they [the government] thought the CHP would withdraw the [constitution] commission. Let's see who will withdraw from this process," he said.