A busy schedule awaits Parliament after the holiday

Having passed the asset peace regulation before breaking for the Eid al-Adha holiday, the Grand National Assembly of Turkey (TBMM) will reopen its doors on June 2 with a much more intense agenda. The omnibus bills that the government has saved for after the holiday include critical topics such as new alcohol restrictions, student amnesty, agricultural land fines, and maritime jurisdiction boundaries.

The General Assembly of the Grand National Assembly of Turkey (TBMM) entered the holiday recess, which will last until June 2, immediately after passing the "asset peace and tax advantages" package. However, a highly intense and controversial legislative schedule awaits the parliamentary benches upon their return. The omnibus bill proposals that the AKP group is preparing to submit to the Speaker of the Parliament immediately after the holiday will reorganize many areas from education to the judiciary, and from agriculture to foreign policy.

TAX TRACKING ON FUEL AND NEW REGULATIONS FOR DIGITAL MEDIA

According to information leaked from government circles, the first omnibus bill to be submitted as soon as Parliament opens will redefine the health requirements for entry into General Directorate of Security educational institutions. While new rules for internet news sites will be introduced through an amendment to the Press Advertisement Agency legislation, strict inspection mechanisms will be established to prevent billion-lira tax losses in the fuel market.

"BRAND, LOGO, AND EMBLEM COMPLETELY BANNED": A HIDDEN WAVE OF CENSORSHIP ON ALCOHOLIC BEVERAGES

The Soil Conservation and Land Use Law proposal, which is expected to be discussed in the General Assembly immediately after the holiday, contains very strict clauses that will shake alcohol producers and sellers. With the radical change to be made in the Law on Monopoly of Spirits and Alcoholic Beverages, alcoholic beverage companies will not be able to support any event, publication, or post using their trade names, logos, brands, or any sign that evokes them. It will be completely forbidden to have even a single letter or image that evokes alcohol not only outside but also inside workplaces, in shop windows, and in sales units.

100 THOUSAND LIRA FINE FOR THOSE PROVIDING ELECTRICITY AND WATER TO ILLEGAL STRUCTURES

In the same law proposal, a blow is also dealt to building cooperatives under the guise of protecting agricultural land. Cooperatives will no longer be able to acquire property in agricultural areas within the zoning plan. An administrative fine of 2,500 liras will be imposed for every square meter of land degraded by those who act contrary to agricultural projects. The most striking clause concerns illegal structures: a fine of exactly 100 thousand liras per subscriber will be imposed on administrations and institutions that provide electricity, water, and natural gas to buildings constructed without permission.

"12TH JUDICIAL PACKAGE" WITHOUT SENTENCE REDUCTION IS ON THE WAY: TARGET TIMELINES ARE COMING

The "12th Judicial Package," consisting of 25-30 articles, which is being prepared within the scope of the Judicial Reform Strategy, is also one of the main agenda items after the holiday. This package will not include any sentence reduction or amnesty regulation. The regulation will focus entirely on accelerating trials. "Target timelines" will be introduced for long-running legal processes such as appeals and cassation. Sensitive issues concerning family law, such as children driven to crime, divorce, and alimony, will be separated from this package and submitted to Parliament one by one later.

PREMIUM SUPPORT FOR "NEET YOUTH" AND NEW STUDENT AMNESTY

Drafts concerning millions have also been clarified on the education and employment front. A new "student amnesty" is coming for those who have been dismissed from universities. This amnesty will cover the period after 2022, when the last law was enacted, and those who missed previous amnesties. While the personal rights of academics are being improved, a new model will be established through İŞKUR for the group described as "NEET youth" (young people not in education, employment, or training). Excessive wage and premium support will be provided to employers who hire young people between the ages of 18-25.

BLUE HOMELAND BORDERS ARE BEING DRAWN BY LAW: "MARITIME JURISDICTION AREAS"

The Parliament's most strategic move after the holiday will be in foreign policy. As a result of the feverish work carried out by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Turkey's "maritime jurisdiction areas" will be codified. With this work, which is still in the draft stage, the exclusive economic zones in the Mediterranean and Black Sea, as well as the continental shelf boundaries in the Aegean Sea, will be clearly defined in a legal text. The TBMM is planned to go on summer recess after holding the traditional July 15 commemoration ceremonies.

News Source: 12punto