Daily Sabah logo

Politics
Diplomacy Legislation War On Terror EU Affairs Elections News Analysis
TÜRKİYE
Istanbul Education Investigations Minorities Expat Corner Diaspora
World
Mid-East Europe Americas Asia Pacific Africa Syrian Crisis Islamophobia
Business
Automotive Economy Energy Finance Tourism Tech Defense Transportation News Analysis
Lifestyle
Health Environment Travel Food Fashion Science Religion History Feature Expat Corner
Arts
Cinema Music Events Portrait Reviews Performing Arts
Sports
Football Basketball Motorsports Tennis
Opinion
Columns Op-Ed Reader's Corner Editorial
PHOTO GALLERY
JOBS ABOUT US RSS PRIVACY CONTACT US
© Turkuvaz Haberleşme ve Yayıncılık 2023

Daily Sabah logo

عربي
  • Politics
    • Diplomacy
    • Legislation
    • War On Terror
    • EU Affairs
    • Elections
    • News Analysis
  • TÜRKİYE
    • Istanbul
    • Education
    • Investigations
    • Minorities
    • Expat Corner
    • Diaspora
  • World
    • Mid-East
    • Europe
    • Americas
    • Asia Pacific
    • Africa
    • Syrian Crisis
    • Islamophobia
  • Business
    • Automotive
    • Economy
    • Energy
    • Finance
    • Tourism
    • Tech
    • Defense
    • Transportation
    • News Analysis
  • Lifestyle
    • Health
    • Environment
    • Travel
    • Food
    • Fashion
    • Science
    • Religion
    • History
    • Feature
    • Expat Corner
  • Arts
    • Cinema
    • Music
    • Events
    • Portrait
    • Reviews
    • Performing Arts
  • Sports
    • Football
    • Basketball
    • Motorsports
    • Tennis
  • Gallery
  • Opinion
    • Columns
    • Op-Ed
    • Reader's Corner
    • Editorial
  • TV

AK Party officials: Kahraman's secularism remarks not party stance

by Yunus Paksoy

ISTANBUL Apr 27, 2016 - 12:00 am GMT+3
by Yunus Paksoy Apr 27, 2016 12:00 am

Senior AK Party officials voiced their support for secularism, arguing that the new draft constitution readied by the government retained the principle of separation of the state and religion to ensure Turkey enjoyed the full benefits of a democratic system of government

The Justice and Development Party's (AK Party) Constitution Commission in Parliament will maintain secularism in its draft constitution and excluding it has not been a question for the government, the chairman of the Parliament's Constitution Commission and AK Party Istanbul Deputy Mustafa Şentop said Tuesday. Şentop's statement followed Parliament Speaker İsmail Kahraman's suggestion to exclude secularism from a new constitution, which he later said was his personal opinion.

"We have not discussed omitting secularism from the draft constitution. The parliament speaker does not speak on behalf of the [AK] party. Secularism is maintained in our constitution proposal," Şentop said in an effort to end the discussion. Claiming that secularism is interpreted incorrectly, Kahraman said on Monday that there should be no such thing. "It should be a new and religious constitution. Secularism should not be in the new constitution," he said. Visiting Cairo in 2011, then Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdoğan had commented on secularism, saying: "Turkey defines secularism as the principle that the state is equidistant from all religions. Secularism is definitely not atheism."

Erdoğan had also recommended that the country adopt a secular constitution. Egypt was discussing a constitution at the time. Another AK Party deputy for Istanbul and former Constitution Commission head, Burhan Kuzu, assured on his official Twitter account that secularism is included in the draft. Kuzu considered Kahraman's suggestion as him exercising his freedom of expression.

Speaking to Daily Sabah, AK Party Group Deputy Chairman Bülent Turan said the party's stance regarding the secularism discussions is quite clear. "The AK Party included secularism in its work for a new constitution both in 2007 and 2011 in the Constitution Reconciliation Committee," he said.

He said that secularism was used as a stick to bash people in the past: "It had been used as a cover for the authoritarian practices of the regime. We criticized the misuse of this principle rather than the principle itself." Turan added that the AK Party stresses the need for a clear and understandable notion of secularism. "Our Parliament Speaker İsmail Kahraman expressed his personal views. Our party's stance is clear," he said.

A joint Constitution Conciliation Committee was formed previously by the AK Party, Republican People's Party (CHP), Nationalist Movement Party (MHP) and Peoples' Democratic Party (HDP). The CHP left the committee after refusing to discuss changing the country's political structure from its current parliamentary system to a presidential regime.

Kahraman had sent a letter to the leaders of all four parties in Parliament in late March, urging them to cooperate to form a new constitution after the main opposition CHP abandoned the committee. The CHP argued that there was no point is taking part in the committee before the debate on switching from the parliamentary system to a presidential system ended. The CHP has refused to return.

Şentop told members of the media at Parliament that there have been no changes in the AK Party's approach to the establishment of a new constitution, which he said would be proposed to Parliament in June. Şentop said: "Our work is continuing. The AK Party's working group is currently working on composing a part of it while the remaining sections are to begin soon."
  • shortlink copied
  • RELATED TOPICS
    fight-against-terrorism DEUTSCHE-BANK US-LIBYA-RELATIONS
    KEYWORDS
    homepage
    The Daily Sabah Newsletter
    Keep up to date with what’s happening in Turkey, it’s region and the world.
    You can unsubscribe at any time. By signing up you are agreeing to our Terms of Use and Privacy Policy. This site is protected by reCAPTCHA and the Google Privacy Policy and Terms of Service apply.
    No Image
    Melbourne Fashion Week 2021 kicks off
    PHOTOGALLERY
    • POLITICS
    • Diplomacy
    • Legislation
    • War On Terror
    • EU Affairs
    • News Analysis
    • TÜRKİYE
    • Istanbul
    • Education
    • Investigations
    • Minorities
    • Diaspora
    • World
    • Mid-East
    • Europe
    • Americas
    • Asia Pacific
    • Africa
    • Syrian Crisis
    • İslamophobia
    • Business
    • Automotive
    • Economy
    • Energy
    • Finance
    • Tourism
    • Tech
    • Defense
    • Transportation
    • News Analysis
    • Lifestyle
    • Health
    • Environment
    • Travel
    • Food
    • Fashion
    • Science
    • Religion
    • History
    • Feature
    • Expat Corner
    • Arts
    • Cinema
    • Music
    • Events
    • Portrait
    • Performing Arts
    • Reviews
    • Sports
    • Football
    • Basketball
    • Motorsports
    • Tennis
    • Opinion
    • Columns
    • Op-Ed
    • Reader's Corner
    • Editorial
    • Photo gallery
    • Jobs
    • privacy
    • about us
    • contact us
    • RSS
    © Turkuvaz Haberleşme ve Yayıncılık 2021