Türkiye’s parliament speaker has said writing a brand-new constitution is a political obligation, as this has become even more important after almost all political parties agreed on a framework law aiming to accomplish the “terror-free Türkiye” initiative.
“Creating a new constitution is a duty for Türkiye. It is a political responsibility, a responsibility that politics has towards society,” Numan Kurtulmuş told the state-run Anadolu Agency in an interview on Aug. 12.
His remarks came days after more than two-thirds of the Turkish parliament voted in favor of a bill tasked with tackling the legal aspects of the government’s anti-terror initiative. All political parties, except the İYİ (Good) Party, voted in favor of the law with few defections.
“I am of the opinion that there is matured political climate, and Türkiye is eligible to write a civilian constitution. [The parliamentary vote] is encouraging to this end,” Kurtulmuş said.
The current arithmetic composition of the parliament is also offering an opportunity for Türkiye to fulfill the people’s expectations for a new and contemporary constitution, he added, recalling that the backbone of the current charter, although amended many times, still carries the notorious spirit of the 1980 military coup. “Türkiye must get rid of it,” he said.
The fact that 467 lawmakers voted in favor of the law demonstrates a growing political alliance to tackle the country’s most difficult problems, the speaker said.
“It is the first time that such a big political alliance is established. We should know its value,” he stated.
Speaking about the Law on Strengthening National Solidarity and Social Integration, Kurtulmuş assured that the blueprint does not contain any sentence that would disrupt the country’s unity, nation-state status and national sovereignty.
“Everyone must speak with a language of peace and brotherhood, appropriate to the sensitivities of the new era. Politics based on old clichés will no longer have any resonance,” he said, urging the politicians to leave the bad habits of the past behind and adopt a new language.
“Everyone needs to create and develop a discourse that encompasses everyone, that speaks to everyone, not just in their own echo chambers, but in the squares and streets of the city.”
