Turkish Parliament to draft new constitution with 'conciliation'

President Erdogan proposal came four years after the 2017 constitutional referendum asked voters to decide on an 18-article bill to switch from a parliamentary to a presidential system, among other changes."

• The AK Party has 289 seats in the 600-seat Parliament, while the MHP has 48, together adding up to a majority of 337, but this falls short of the 360-vote supermajority needed to pass a new constitution.
• Even if all 600 deputies in Parliament say "yes" to the proposal, a national referendum will be held to assess the will of the people, Erdoğan had previously stated. 

Ankara, June 1.– Justice Minister Abdülhamit Gül said he has full faith that the Turkish Parliament will embrace the same conciliatory attitude as it had in electing the members for the Board of Judges and Prosecutors (HSK) during the new constitution-drafting period.

Speaking at a virtual session of the Turkish Criminal Law Days with judicial officials, Gül said reconciliation and consensus among political parties are necessary to draft the new constitution.

“Democracy is a regime of reconciliation,” Gül said, as he hailed the parties’ cooperation during the HSK elections for being an achievement for democracy.

Noting that the reforms that have been carried out so far are a product of the ruling Justice and Development Party’s (AK Party) determination to achieve a more libertarian and participatory democracy, Gül said they will continue to oppose all types of discrimination targeting human rights, values and lifestyles.
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