Koçyiğit and Temelli explain: How will the DEM Party respond if the first 4 articles and Article 66 are brought to the agenda?

Parliament Speaker Numan Kurtulmuş's statements targeting Article 3 of the Constitution and MHP leader Devlet Bahçeli's handshake with DEM Party members at the opening of the new legislative year of the Turkish Grand National Assembly (TBMM) had turned eyes toward the DEM Party. 

Finally, President and AKP Chairman Recep Tayyip Erdoğan supported Bahçeli's move and pointed to a broad social consensus for the Constitution. 

DEM Party Group Deputy Chairs Gülüstan Kılıç Koçyiğit and Sezai Temelli, who held a press conference in Ankara, made evaluations regarding the process.

THE FIRST 4 ARTICLES OF THE CONSTITUTION

Regarding Kurtulmuş's statement on Article 3 and the continuation of the debates over the first 4 articles, Temelli said, "We do not believe that the constitutional debates have started from the right place. While one should look at it by asking 'What kind of a Constitution,' drowning it in articles blocks the path of a 'what kind of a Constitution' debate. Everyone is calling for a civil constitution. It is necessary to get rid of the spirit of September 12. It is necessary to prioritize the 'What kind of a Constitution' and social consensus debates."

'THERE CAN BE NO CONSENSUS WHERE THERE ARE RED LINES'

Koçyiğit said the following:

"The government is confused. The Parliament Speaker says one thing. The Palace's legal advisor says another. There were first-round visits. We cannot answer the question of why the AKP wants to draft a Constitution. There is no transparent debate. We want to get rid of the September 12 Constitution. It is clear that conducting the debate so opaquely today does not lead to progress. The procedure and principles of this must be determined. There is really no debate about the procedure and method of this matter. Are you going to include different segments of society? Are you going to take the opinions of women's organizations, associations, labor organizations, and unions? Or will it be a draft cooked up in the Palace? That is why it started from the wrong place. There can be no consensus where there are red lines."

Koçyiğit and Temelli also made evaluations regarding how the DEM Party would respond if the first 4 articles and Article 66 of the Constitution were brought to the agenda.

'WE WILL TALK WHEN IT COMES'

While Koçyiğit said, "We will talk about that when it comes," Temelli stated, "If they are bringing it here in this way, they have no intention of drafting a Constitution. I think it actually stems from the mentality they are in. If they are coming and bringing this proposal, on whose behalf are they bringing it?"

News Source: 12punto