DEM Party Meets Journalists in Ankara, Calls for New Constitution

A delegation from the Peoples' Equality and Democracy Party (DEM Party), including Şanlıurfa Member of Parliament Mithat Sancar and former Diyarbakır Metropolitan Municipality Mayor Gültan Kışanak, convened with journalists in Ankara to address the ongoing discussions surrounding a new constitution for Turkey.

Mithat Sancar articulated the party's stance, stating, "A new constitution must be made. But it must be done with the broadest societal and political participation." He stressed the necessity of creating an environment conducive to healthy constitutional debates, which he described as "road cleaning." This involves removing practices and legal regulations that hinder free discussion and encourage arbitrary applications.

Sancar further elaborated that the party rejects confining constitutional discussions to narrow topics. Instead, he argued that issues such as the Kurdish question, the broader democracy problem, the struggle for freedom, and the rule of law must be addressed comprehensively and interconnectedly.

Gültan Kışanak echoed the sentiment that Turkey requires a new constitution, noting that the need for change has been evident since the current one was drafted under the 1980 military coup. However, she expressed significant reservations about the feasibility of enacting a new constitution in the immediate future. "I do not think it will be on the agenda in the short term," Kışanak stated, citing a lack of the necessary societal and political consensus.

Kışanak highlighted the urgency of implementing reforms related to press and expression freedoms, freedom of association, and strengthening local democracy, which would also abolish the controversial practice of appointing state trustees to elected local government positions. While acknowledging that few actively oppose constitutional change, she pointed to the "buts," anxieties, and question marks within society that need to be addressed. "We cannot move forward with this constitution," Kışanak declared, criticizing its "coup spirit" and its transformation into a "patchwork quilt" through numerous amendments that fail to meet the needs of a democratic republic.