Leaving discussions on a principled basis aside, political actors should focus on concrete proposals for the new constitution, Parliament Speaker Mustafa Şentop said Tuesday.
Addressing reporters in Turkey's Tokat province in the mid-Black Sea region of Anatolia, Şentop touched upon efforts for a new constitution.
"Turkey should now close the period of discussions on a principled basis in the constitutional debate. Instead, how everyone envisions the government system, item by item, what will be the position of the president, the prime minister, how the government will be formed, how the laws will be discussed, whether there is a statutory decree ... There should be texts that contain all these, not just some wishes, but concrete suggestions," he said.
"Whether it can be reconciled or not, we need to look at it. We need to see the suggestions. There are no such suggestions yet. We are still talking about abstract proposals at the level of principle," Şentop added.
Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan on Feb. 1 had announced, "It is time for Turkey to discuss a new constitution again." Then, he said that work has begun for a new and civilian constitution for the people, adding that the 1982 Constitution has lost its validity, underlining that the new constitution will be the product of a transparent process.
Since 1982, the current Constitution, drafted following a military coup, has seen a number of amendments. The bloody 1980 coup, which led to the detention of hundreds of thousands of people along with mass trials, torture and executions, still represents a dark period in Turkish political history.
Amid debates for a new civil constitution, Erdoğan said that Turkey will have a comprehensive, clear, democratic and liberal constitution to guide the country in the upcoming century. He wants Turkey to have a civilian-drafted constitution by 2023, coinciding with the centenary of the foundation of the Republic of Turkey. He also underlined that the doors are open for all political parties to contribute to constitutional reform.
