Not a mild affair, indeed
BBC correspondent in Istanbul Mark Lowen summarized the events that brought about constitutional reform in Turkey as follows:
"A government MP alleged an opponent bit into his leg. A plant pot was hurled across Parliament. A microphone was stolen and used as a weapon. An independent MP handcuffed herself to a lectern."
His conclusion is that the debate on reforming the Constitution wasn't a mild affair.
Perhaps he has not seen the stronger debates in Parliament. Comparatively speaking, this was a mild affair. What is not mild as far as a journalist's omissions and commissions was his list of reform items.
When you look at Mr. Lowen's eight-item list, you come to one conclusion: President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan is really trying to be, well let's use the "D" word, a modern day dictator.
With 18 articles, this bill is going to alter 69 chapters of the existing Constitution. However, Mr. Lowen singles out such things as, "He or she would be given sweeping new powers to appoint ministers, prepare the budget, choose the majority of senior judges and enact certain laws by decree; the president alone would be able to announce a state of emergency and dismiss Parliament." Inevitably you jump to the "D" word.
I don't know Mr. Lowen from Adam. I wish I did. I am sure he is a nice gentleman and a good specimen of Western journalists who chase the men biting dogs' legs. If you sit down and translate the whole project and find out that 21 articles will be deleted and note all the alterations in all 69 items, it will be a worthy effort, but an editor would not allow it in a Western media outlet. If you simply note that the existing Constitution already gives the president the authority to send Parliament to early elections, and that now Parliament will be able to dismiss the president as part of the proposed checks and balances, it may be comprehensive coverage, but it loses its cutting edge. Erdoğan does not appear to be the dictator some would like to make him out to be.
Tell your readers he already has sweeping powers because the Constitution was written by a real military dictator after a real military coup d'état to endow him with super powers, and on top of that, he is above the law and cannot be sent to court. That is, unless Parliament accuses him of high treason, your story turns into a U.S. News and World Report's review of good colleges. Not only that, according to the reform bill, the president's cabinet cannot propose bills other than the annual spending bill. But as I say, you are writing for a Western medium. You need people biting dogs; you need powers to appoint ministers, choose the majority of senior judges and enact certain laws by decree! You should mention that all these actions will be open to the court's scrutiny and the president himself can be sued like anyone in government for his actions and decisions. What are you doing? Writing a doctoral thesis?
Besides, fake news sells. And it is not a mild affair. Just ask Mr. Trump.
"A government MP alleged an opponent bit into his leg. A plant pot was hurled across Parliament. A microphone was stolen and used as a weapon. An independent MP handcuffed herself to a lectern."
His conclusion is that the debate on reforming the Constitution wasn't a mild affair.
Perhaps he has not seen the stronger debates in Parliament. Comparatively speaking, this was a mild affair. What is not mild as far as a journalist's omissions and commissions was his list of reform items.
When you look at Mr. Lowen's eight-item list, you come to one conclusion: President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan is really trying to be, well let's use the "D" word, a modern day dictator.
With 18 articles, this bill is going to alter 69 chapters of the existing Constitution. However, Mr. Lowen singles out such things as, "He or she would be given sweeping new powers to appoint ministers, prepare the budget, choose the majority of senior judges and enact certain laws by decree; the president alone would be able to announce a state of emergency and dismiss Parliament." Inevitably you jump to the "D" word.
I don't know Mr. Lowen from Adam. I wish I did. I am sure he is a nice gentleman and a good specimen of Western journalists who chase the men biting dogs' legs. If you sit down and translate the whole project and find out that 21 articles will be deleted and note all the alterations in all 69 items, it will be a worthy effort, but an editor would not allow it in a Western media outlet. If you simply note that the existing Constitution already gives the president the authority to send Parliament to early elections, and that now Parliament will be able to dismiss the president as part of the proposed checks and balances, it may be comprehensive coverage, but it loses its cutting edge. Erdoğan does not appear to be the dictator some would like to make him out to be.
Tell your readers he already has sweeping powers because the Constitution was written by a real military dictator after a real military coup d'état to endow him with super powers, and on top of that, he is above the law and cannot be sent to court. That is, unless Parliament accuses him of high treason, your story turns into a U.S. News and World Report's review of good colleges. Not only that, according to the reform bill, the president's cabinet cannot propose bills other than the annual spending bill. But as I say, you are writing for a Western medium. You need people biting dogs; you need powers to appoint ministers, choose the majority of senior judges and enact certain laws by decree! You should mention that all these actions will be open to the court's scrutiny and the president himself can be sued like anyone in government for his actions and decisions. What are you doing? Writing a doctoral thesis?
Besides, fake news sells. And it is not a mild affair. Just ask Mr. Trump.