AKP, MHP agree on new internal regulations of parliament

ANKARA

The ruling Justice and Development Party (AKP) and opposition Nationalist Movement Party (MHP) have agreed on a 17-article amendment to internal regulation of the Turkish parliament, a change required by the constitutional amendment approved after the April 16 referendum. 

The two sides agreed on the internal regulation amendment draft, which is set to bring major changes to the working of parliament, after a six-hour meeting on July 5. 

The AKP and the MHP were in alliance to shift Turkey’s parliamentary system into an executive presidency. 

In the meeting attended by AKP group deputy leader Mustafa Elitaş, AKP secretary Abdulhamit Gül, MHP group deputy leader Erkan Akçay and MHP Afyon lawmaker Mehmet Parsak, the group discussed the amendment charter, which was initially presented to MHP officials on June 22.  

Elitaş said two articles of the AKP’s initial draft were excluded from the text while six articles were included in accordance with the MHP’s suggestions, adding that the two parties agreed on the 17 articles. 

He added that the draft amendment will be assessed by relevant boards of the two parties and there will be another meeting to finalize the text. 


Draft to be conveyed to parliament next week

Elitaş stated that the draft is expected to be submitted to the parliament speaker’s office next week.

The draft then will be assessed by the related sub-commission in parliament and will be referred to the parliament’s general assembly afterwards. 

According to AKP Ankara lawmaker Ahmet Gündoğdu, the parliament will start working on the adjustment laws and internal regulation amendment starting from July 17. 

He said the parliament is expected to finalize the voting by the end of August. 

According to the constitutional amendment, the parliament is obliged to finalize all the necessary adjustment laws and internal regulation amendments in accordance with the stipulated system change within six months. 


Opposition not attending meetings

As the AKP and MHP gathered to begin the constitutional amendments, which will stipulate major changes in the governance system, MHP’s Akçay criticized the main opposition Republican People’s Party (CHP) for not attending meetings. 

“We would like them to participate in these internal regulation works, but both the CHP and the Peoples’ Democratic Party (HDP) have closed the door indefinitely. From now on, we expect their contribution in the commission and general assembly,” Akçay said. 

The CHP is standing against the implementation of the constitutional amendment, saying the top electoral board’s decision to accept unsealed ballot papers in the referendum and several other irregularities cast a shadow on the legitimacy of the results.