Efforts accelerate: AKP seeks 37 deputies
It is claimed that the 11-member Constitutional Commission established within the AKP has accelerated preparations for a new constitution and is seeking consensus in Parliament for a possible referendum.
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AKP Chairman and President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan’s 11-member AKP Constitutional Commission, which began its work under his instructions, is conducting a comprehensive evaluation process for a new draft constitution under the coordination of Vice President Cevdet Yılmaz. To date, the commission has examined all constitutional texts from 1921 to 1982, as well as the government systems Turkey has implemented in the past.
The team, which has held more than 10 meetings on presidential, semi-presidential, and parliamentary models, has comparatively analyzed the historical experiences, governance practices, and political consequences of each system in the country. The studies take into account not only governance models but also criteria such as political stability, the balance between the legislature and the executive, resilience against crises, and the ties established between leaders and the public.
According to a report by the pro-government newspaper Türkiye, the commission will further intensify its efforts in the coming period and make a comprehensive presentation to President Erdoğan. Following this stage, a broad consultation period covering different segments of society will begin.
37 DEPUTIES NEEDED
The AKP aims to build the broadest possible consensus for the new constitution process, both in parliament and in the eyes of the public. In order to reach the 360-vote threshold required to trigger a referendum, contacts with other political parties continue, beyond the People's Alliance's total of 323 seats. Therefore, the support of at least 37 more deputies is needed for the proposal to pass through Parliament and reach the referendum threshold.
THE VIEW THAT “A REFERENDUM SHOULD BE HELD” PREVAILS
According to information reflected from party lobbies, the AKP wants to go to a public vote even if the new draft constitution passes through Parliament with 400 or more votes. Sources emphasize that a referendum would provide the process with strong social legitimacy, sharing the assessment that “public approval will provide legitimacy to the process.”