Charter commission aim to agree by April 8

ANKARA - Hürriyet Daily News

Çiçek has a dinner meeting with the Commission members in Parliament. AA photo

The Constitution Conciliation Commission, which gathered in an extraordinary session under the chairmanship of the Parliament Speaker Cemil Çiçek, has determined to search for a consensus until April 8. The ruling Justice and Development Party (AKP) favors completing the works by April 23 and forming a draft by that time. Otherwise, it will bring its own Constitution proposal to Parliament.

On April 1, Çiçek had a meeting over dinner with the Commission members in Parliament’s restaurant. Mehmet Ali Şahin, Mustafa Şentop and Ahmet İyimaya from the AKP, Rıza Türmen and Atilla Kart from the Republican People’s Party (CHP), Faruk Bal from the Nationalist Movement party (MHP), and Peace and Democracy Party (BDP) Group Deputy Chairman İdris Baluken were all present at the dinner. During the meeting, the opposition reportedly criticized the Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdoğan for his granting of a fixed period for the Commission’s work. Kart said the AKP wanted to end the Commission in order to introduce the presidential system. On the other hand, AKP representatives Şahin and Şentop argued that enough time had been spent at the Commission.

The AKP members proposed for Çiçek to hold another round of talks with party leaders. 
However, Çiçek objected to the proposal on the grounds that the Commission had so far been able to reach a consensus on only 29 articles, while the remaining articles remained controversial. “If a draft cannot be formed, we will resort to other alternatives. We will make our own proposal,” AKP deputy chairman and commission member Şentop said. Kart said that such an attitude would lead to a social unrest.