Prime Minister Binali Yıldırım and Nationalist Movement Party (MHP) Chairman Devlet Bahçeli came together for the first time after the April 16 referendum on Wednesday in Ankara. The meeting, which took place at the Prime Ministry, lasted about 45 minutes, and anti-terror operations and adjustment laws were the main items on the agenda that the two leaders reportedly discussed.
According to sources, they first evaluated the results of the referendum, then discussed the adjustment laws which are expected to be passed from the Parliament by 2019. A road map on how to adapt the laws and on how carry out a study in the area was also discussed at the meeting. On the issue of counterterrorism, Prime Minister Yıldırım informed Bahçeli about the most recent operations conducted against the PKK terrorists in Sinjar in northern Iraq. Moreover, the decision to put Turkey under political control, given by the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe (PACE), was also on the agenda. Yıldırım and Bahçeli also evaluated the possible steps that Turkey could take against this decision.
The opposition MHP backed a constitutional amendment package that was accepted at the April 16 referendum and following the referendum, MHP leader Bahçeli also hinted that his party is ready to support the ruling Justice and Development Party (AK Party) to enact the adjustment laws that are necessary to switch to a presidential system.
"We will stick to our principles and will continue with the political consensus [with the AK Party] for the sake of our country," Bahçeli said while underlining that their responsibility in the new era will be greater. "Today is the day that we need to be united for our brighter future. We can defeat attacks to our nation and can be successful if we are united," Bahçeli added.
Meanwhile, Yıldırım said last week that they will seek consensus with the opposition in drafting laws to introduce the newly approved constitutional amendments, but will proceed on its own in the event that other parties do not contribute to the process.
Parliament will convene on May 2 to discuss the adjustment laws. With the accepted constitutional articles, the Supreme Board of Judges and Prosecutors is being reformed. Moreover, there are adjustment laws that will be implemented with regard to political parties' law, local administrations' law and members of Parliament's laws on elections. The government is planning to put in place most of these laws within a six-month period.