Commission established in the Turkish Parliament opens with a crisis: Constitution, rule of law, or İmamoğlu? The 'arm wrestling' has begun!

The Constitutional Commission, established in the Turkish Grand National Assembly and planned to work for 8 weeks, has raised the political temperature from its very first week.

According to İsmail Saymaz's report, the Presidential Palace has an expectation that the commission will produce a "new constitution for everyone." However, the CHP's determination to bring issues such as the appointment of trustees, imprisoned mayors, and specifically the case of Ekrem İmamoğlu to the table has ignited the crisis.

HARSH REACTION FROM ÖZEL: "I WOULDN'T EVEN MAKE MENEMEN WITH YOU"

CHP Chairman Özgür Özel argued in a statement on July 29 that the AKP government does not present a profile suitable for drafting a constitution.

Stating, "You cannot draft a constitution with those who do not abide by the constitution. I wouldn't even make menemen with you, let alone a constitution," Özel said that they would participate in the commission, but that this would not mean drafting a constitution.

Furthermore, emphasizing Republican values in his speech in Kahramankazan, Özel stated, "We will not let anyone drive a nail into the columns of the Republic. We are both the founder and the guardian of this country."

"OUR PRIMARY GOAL IS NOT A NEW CONSTITUTION"

Parliament Speaker Numan Kurtulmuş, softening the emphasis on a new constitution, defined the commission's mission as "social peace and the will for a legitimate solution":

"We may not be writing a new constitution in this commission, but we will construct sentences of brotherhood and act together."

According to Saymaz, a prevailing tendency within the Palace argues that the commission's fundamental mission is to "complete the founding act of the Republic." According to this approach, a new constitution should be built on the basis of a concept of citizenship that encompasses all citizens—Turks, Kurds, Alevis, and Sunnis—"not just by name, but in effect."

However, these circles do not look favorably upon the CHP bringing the situation of Istanbul Metropolitan Municipality Mayor Ekrem İmamoğlu, the practice of appointing trustees, and operations targeting mayors to the commission's agenda.

CHP WILL DISCUSS OPERATIONS AT THE TABLE

The CHP wing, on the other hand, wants to see the Constitutional Commission as a platform for "producing law and democracy." On the CHP's agenda are topics such as:

Lawsuits against Ekrem İmamoğlu,

The removal of trustee appointments,

The release of imprisoned mayors.

It is stated that these topics carry as much importance as the new constitution debates.

ARM WRESTLING HAS BEGUN BETWEEN AKP AND CHP

The commission's scope of work will not be limited to just the constitution. It is aimed to develop proposals in areas such as legal reforms, the political parties law, election law, local government powers, and the penal code.

However, according to İsmail Saymaz, this commission will be the scene of an arm-wrestling match between the AKP and the CHP on the axis of "constitution, rule of law, or İmamoğlu."