AK Party applauds CHP's decision to drop constitutional change appeal


The main opposition Republican People's Party (CHP) leader Kemal Kılıçdaroğlu announced on Tuesday that his party will not appeal to the Constitutional Court over the constitutional amendment that will be put to vote in a referendum on April 16. Justice and Development Party (AK Party) Group Deputy Chairman Bülent Turan said on Wednesday that the AK Party applauds the CHP's decision that shows it trusts the will of the nation."We applaud the CHP's decision not to go to the Constitutional Court. The CHP has made hundreds of applications to the Constitutional Court in its 90-year history with an aim to reverse or prevent legislative changes that it was against. However, they have said that they will trust the public's will and sovereignty in the upcoming referendum," said Turan. "I hope the CHP will continue in this direction and revise its politics based on a Parliament-centered understanding," he added.Addressing his party's parliamentary group on Feb. 14, Kılıçdaroğlu said: "A sovereignty that cannot be protected by the people's will cannot be protected by any other power. We will entrust 60 days to the nation's judgment until the decision is made in the polls on April 16. If the issue is the nation's sovereignty, the real supreme court in this case is the people, the nation's court. That is why we will not appeal to the Constitutional Court. We, the CHP, trust this nation's foresight." Responding to Kılıçdaroğlu's remarks, Prime Minister Binali Yıldırım said, "The CHP probably realized that they will not get any result from the Constitutional Court."