anayasa

Elif on Referendum and Propaganda

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Referendum and propaganda It?s just the matter of yes or no? I?m road tripping 100 kilometers per day to go to work and come back home and on the way exposed to  hundreds of referendum posters saying yes or no. According to political parties, mainly AKP, CHP and MHP, communication with audience referendum is just … Read more

Pamuk says ‘yes’ to reform package… Towards referendum (7)

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Nobel winner Pamuk says ‘yes’ to reform package Today’s Zaman Turkey’s Nobel-prize winning author Orhan Pamuk has said he will vote ?yes? on the Sept. 12 referendum on a constitutional amendment package. … Turkish opposition leader ‘tweets’ on amnesty debate from Hurriyet Dailynews The leader of the main opposition Republican People?s Party, or CHP, hit … Read more

HSYK’s latest judiciary coup attempt, PKK’s ceasefire, Increasing unemployment rates… Towards referendum (6)

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Kadir Özbek, head of HSYK, acts like an opposition leader… Ergenekon shadow persists over top jurists, courts Today’s Zaman The suspicious incidents are believed to be the work of Ergenekon, a clandestine criminal organization accused of working to overthrow the government. … Ergenekon suspects intimidate judges with compensation claims Today’s Zaman More and more efforts … Read more

Erkan states the obvious: YES in the Referendum- Towards Referendum (5)

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* The myth of consensus. Some oppose to the changes stating that changes were not made through consensus. As if any constitution was ever made by consensus in Turkey. In fact, a major constitutional change led by a ruling government which was at least elected is a first in Turkish history…
* If AKP was able to cooperate with CHP, MHP and BDP, would there be better changes? I don’t think so. Turkish opposition is far behind AKP in terms of democratic reforms. They are more interested in maintaining status quo through which they have a chance of existence.
* In abstract, all proposed changes point out a more democration situation. So why the opposition?
* Major opposition to changes is about the status of high judiciary and military judiciary system. At present state, they are closed circuit institutions, guardians of Kemalist ideology and a continuous obstacle to EU process. The proposed changes opens up the criteria to become a member of these institutions. They were instituted like this by the military coup d’etat regime so that they would be guard the proposed political and judicial system. Now AKP means to change it and I certainly support that…
* Thus “Independent judiciary” is a big lie. Existing judiciary system was built under military tutelage and is certainly not independent.

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Towards referendum (4): “High-level general called to testify as key military council continues”

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High-level general called to testify as key military council continues

from Hurriyet Dailynews
The general expected to be named to head Turkey’s land forces has been called along with 18 other military officers to testify as part of the Ergenekon probe.

Turkeys PM Erdogan attends a wreath-laying ...

Turkey’s Prime Minister Tayyip Erdogan (C) attends a wreath-laying ceremony with members of the High Military Council at the mausoleum of Mustafa Kemal Ataturk, founder of modern Turkey, in Ankara August 1, 2010.? Read more » REUTERS/Umit Bektas

FATMA DİŞLİ ZIBAK – A critical YAŞ meeting

Turkey?s Supreme Military Council (YAŞ), where decisions regarding the promotion and dismissal of Turkish Armed Forces (TSK) personnel are made, convened yesterday.

The trouble with Turkish constitution-making by Aengus Collins

Is Turkish constitutionalism losing its way again? There was an encouraging decade of consensus-building and liberalization between 1995 and 2004, but since the multiple crises of 2007 and 2008 it is hard to avoid the feeling that the country?s capacity for effective constitution-making is on the wane.

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Towards referendum (3): AKP’s blogging contest: Best blog posts in favor of Constitutional changes

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Check out the jury members.

Towards Referendum (2): PSYOPs in Dörtyol and İnegöl

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Two towns whose populations are more intermixed due to domestic migration, Dörtyol and İnegöl have been targets of psychological operations in order to start communal strifes. This is a pattern that has been observed several times in pre-1980 coup d’etat. In the old days, Alevis vs. Sunnis tension was manipulated. Now comes Turks vs. Kurds tension. Kurdish populations increase in especially Western parts of Anatolia and this brings some social tension. There have been some other attempts to instigate strifes in recent years but İnegöl and Dörtyol cases that happened in the same week seem to be more deliberate. Mobs agitated by Turkish nationalist themes are mobilized after seemingly personal conflicts between persons that happend to be Kurds and Turks.

Unlike the previous cases, government acted swiftly this time and there have been arrrests in İnegöl and security forces patrol the city. Mobs are cowards. When they see security forces at work, they back down. In fact, in most of the cases, security forces are “called to wait” and then come the massacres. This time the government will not let this happen. It seems. Well, apparently these operations aim to destabilize the country and calls for “law and order” regime. Not more democratizations…

In the mean time, Mr. Kılıçdaroğlu who emerged as a symbol of hope for some in opposition continue to embarrass himself with ridicilous allegations.. That’s the best CHP  could reach…

In the mean time, judiciary battles continue.  There is a warrant to arrest 102 active and retired military officials although it is not executed yet… We will see the drama unravel in the next days…

Unrest against Kurdish Population in Hatay

from Bianet :: English
Four police officers were killed in an attack on a police car in the south-eastern city of Dörtyolu; the party building of the pro-Kurdish Peace and Democracy Party was burned; shops owned by Kurds were demolished. Tension is still rising high in the region.

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Towards Referendum (1): a roundup

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Unfortunately, I could not find an English translation of proposed changes. I am working on it. You can find a documents where all changes in Turkish are listed. Besides, AKP set up a website again only in Turkish about the changes here. I will declare my official position on referendum soon… The list of constitutional … Read more

Turkish politics roundup (1): Referendum and judiciary

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ŞAHİN ALPAY – Referendum to further consolidate democracy The military in Turkey staged a coup d?état on Sept. 12, 1980, held power for nearly three years and adopted a highly authoritarian constitution that reinforced the tutelary powers of the military and judiciary over democracy before allowing elections and the reintroduction of multi-party politics. Turkey’s Prime … Read more

Constitutional Court violates Constitution again but not prevents a possible Constitutional change…

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Having the current Judiciary establishment in Turkey, this might be the best result. Now comes the referendum on September 12, the anniversary day of 1980 coup d’etat. Hopefully, coup constitution will get a blow that day…

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BÜLENT KENEŞ – Constitutional Court violates Constitution again

Article 148 of the Turkish Constitution, which establishes the functions and powers of the Constitutional Court, states: ?The Constitutional Court shall examine the constitutionality, in respect of both form and substance, of laws, decrees having the force of law, and the Turkish Parliament?s Rules of Procedure.

MAIN FOCUS: Turkish court blocks constitutional reform | 09/07/2010

from euro|topics

The Constitutional Court of Turkey has declared parts of the government’s constitutional reform invalid. The press writes that the court has once more overstepped the boundaries of its jurisdiction, but that Prime Minister Tayyip Erdoğan has nevertheless scored a partial victory in his campaign to bring more democracy to the country.

YAVUZ BAYDAR – A disputable, but smart move

After deliberations which lasted almost 10 hours, Turkey?s Constitutional Court on Wednesday signed, sealed and delivered another historic decision which, although in part disputable, shines with its caution to not cause severe damage for the fragile democracy.

FATMA DİŞLİ ZIBAK – A mediocre ruling

Turkey?s Constitutional Court, which has sparked heated debates due to its controversial rulings in the past, has added one more such ruling to its record, annulling key amendments in a government-sponsored reform package that aims to raise the judicial and democratic standards in the country.

Court annuls key Turkish reforms

from BBC News | Europe | World Edition
Turkey’s Constitutional Court annuls key parts of government-backed constitutional reforms.

Turkey to vote on post-military constitution

from FT.com – World, Europe
Turkey’s government-sponsored constitutional reforms can be put to a referendum as planned in September, after a constitutional court ruling annulled only details of the most controversial proposals

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This week’s political agenda. Will there be referendum on Sept 12 or not

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Constitutional Court will again decide…as CHP, main opposition party, again applied the Court for the rejection of reforms… ****************** Is CHP burying the hatchet with Gülen movement? Today’s Zaman Baykal and his party, joining with the opponents of Ergenekon, a shadowy crime network that has alleged links within the state and is suspected of plotting … Read more

A major blow to 12 September coup constitution…

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but of course there are many who oppose the constitutional changes just because they are made by AKP. we will see more drama in near future but for the moment let me hail a more democratic constitution…

Lawmakers of the ruling Justice and Development ...

Lawmakers of the ruling Justice and Development Party celebrate after the official results were announced at the parliament in Ankara, Turkey, early Friday, May 7, 2010. Turkey’s parliament has narrowly passed a series of fiercely contested constitutional amendments that the opposition parties argue they will give the Islamic-rooted government too much power over the judiciary. The president is now widely expected to submit the measures to a referendum this summer since the 336 votes in favor of the amendments on Friday were short of the 367 required votes in the 550-seat assembly to adopt the proposals outright.? Read more » (AP Photo/Burhan Ozbilici)

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Final round in the Constitutional changes begins

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Turkey faces constitutional reform showdown

from Yahoo news
Turkey’s parliament on Sunday begins the final round of voting on constitutional changes that strike at the heart of the secular elite with plans to reform the judiciary and make the army accountable to civilian courts.

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Roundup: Heated constitutional debates continue

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as far as I could observe, AKP’s proposals are all accepted due to its majority in the parliament and sometimes with little help from fro-Kurdish BDP.

Concensus in Turkey

from Mavi Boncuk by M.A.M

Turkey’s parliament began debating Monday a series of amendments to the Constitution that are fiercely contested by opposition parties who say the Islamic-oriented government’s proposals are aimed at diluting the powers of secular opponents within the judiciary ? a legacy of the 1980 military coup. The 29 draft amendments would make disbanding political parties more difficult, open the way for the trial of military commanders by civilian courts and give parliament a say in the appointment of senior judges.

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Erdoğan distracts the political agenda while Constitutional reform debates take place in the Parliament

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Turkeys Prime Minister Tayyip Erdogan casts ...

Turkey’s Prime Minister Tayyip Erdogan casts his vote during a debate at parliament in Ankara April 19, 2010. The parliament in Turkey began debating changes to the constitution on Monday.? Read more » REUTERS/Umit Bektas

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