Abant talks on constitution


Date posted: March 13, 2012

MERVE BÜŞRA ÖZTÜRK,  March 12, 2012

This year’s Abant Platform, held from March 9 to 11 in the northwestern province of Bolu, tackled the pressing issue of shaping Turkey’s new constitution. A broad range of intellectuals, lawyers, political leaders and journalists discussed the problematic areas of the constitutional drafting process.

The new constitution, about which Parliament Speaker Cemil Çiçek said during his opening speech at the platform, “If we miss this opportunity, a new constitution will remain an unfulfilled dream for the next 30 years,” is scheduled to be completed by the end of 2012. As with every Abant meeting, a summary declaration of the platform’s conclusions was released, and comments were made by columnists who attended the gathering.

“The most significant point talked about at the platform was that the constitution currently being drafted will be transient. It was not mentioned much during the platform, but deep down every one knows it will be a transient constitution and will lead to another constitution in the following years,” says Taraf’s Orhan Miroğlu.

He emphasizes how the Abant Platform reflects not only the intellectual segment of society but the common views held by every segment of society in general and that the attendance of representatives from the main opposition Republican People’s Party’s (CHP) at this year’s platform added to its comprehensiveness. Miroğlu says that 2014 will be marked by local and presidential elections, and then general elections, and therefore Parliament Speaker Cemil Çiçek must think that if the new constitution is not completed by 2013, there will be no chance of fully focusing on it during the time of elections, which is why he is giving all his time and energy to the drafting process. Miroğlu finally adds that the Abant Platform has shown once again that the most difficult issues to be agreed upon for the constitution concern the Kurdish question. Gülay Göktürk from the Bugün daily discusses the “most difficult issues” as Miroğlu defined and says the most crucial session of the platform was titled “Unitary state and local administrations while looking out for the emergence of new autonomies.” This session was directly related to the Kurdish question and its most problematic subjects. The main suggestions mentioned during this session were changing the definition of citizenship in the constitution, getting rid of the frequent emphasis on Turkish ethnicity in the constitution and allowing education in Kurdish and other non-Turkish languages. These suggestions are likely to be accepted, but education in languages other than Turkish and Kurdish is not expected to be approved.

Source: Today’s Zaman http://www.todayszaman.com/columnist-274039-abant-talks-on-constitution.html

The Abant Platform is an independent think tank that takes its name from Lake Abant in the province of Bolu, the location of its first meeting. It is one of the most well-known programs of the GYV, which was established in 1994. Its mission and work were inspired by the GYV’s honorary president, Islamic scholar Fethullah Gülen.

 

Tags: | | |


Related News

The UN High-Level Reception Highlights the Role of Public-Private Partnerships

Education, along with few other factors, has been the centerpiece of the UN Post-2015 Development Agenda. During the evaluation period of the successes of the Millennium Development Goals, it was obvious that even though the number of children attending schools significantly increased, the higher education they got did not meet the standards of the contemporary world and labor markets.

The confidence crisis and remaining wounds

I have long been pondering on some questions which are bugging everyone. When an appointed prosecutor launches an investigation into appointed bureaucrats and MİT members’ activities involving a terrorist organization, why should this be described as a “civilian coup”? BÜLENT KENEŞ, Thursday February 23, 2012 While on my way to work on Thursday morning, a […]

MHP asks gov’t how many state officials reassigned after graft scandal

Since the widespread corruption and bribery investigation became public, thousands of police officers have been reassigned or removed from their posts because of alleged links to the Hizmet movement, inspired by the teachings of Turkish Islamic scholar Fethullah Gülen. In addition to the thousands of police officers, the government has replaced the prosecutors who initiated the investigation as well as dozens of officials at various state institutions, including public prosecutors’ offices.

Erdoğan’s requests to shut down Turkish schools abroad perceived as patronizing

On the latest stop of his world tour to disparage Turkish schools abroad, President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan asked Albanians to shut down schools that boast scores of Albanian alumni, accusing the institutions of being part of a terrorist organization.

Behind the war over prep schools [in Turkey]

Notably, all this comes while the tension between the government, especially Erdoğan himself, and the Gülen Movement is deepening. In fact, both groups form part of the “religious conservatives,” and used to be allies against the old secularist guard. However, their differences have become increasingly pronounced and have resulted recently in an increasingly bitter war of words.

More Divisions, More Democracy

Foreign journalists writing about Turkey like to focus on the most fundamental divide in Turkish society: the rift between religious conservatives and secularists. But these days an internal clash is raging among the conservatives themselves. And it could be a boon for Turkish democracy.

Latest News

Turkish inmate jailed over alleged Gülen links dies of heart attack in prison

Message of Condemnation and Condolences for Mass Shooting at Bondi Beach, Sydney

Media executive Hidayet Karaca marks 11th year in prison over alleged links to Gülen movement

ECtHR faults Turkey for convictions of 2,420 applicants over Gülen links in follow-up to 2023 judgment

New Book Exposes Erdoğan’s “Civil Death Project” Targeting the Hizmet Movement

European Human Rights Treaty Faces Legal And Political Tests

ECtHR rejects Turkey’s appeal, clearing path for retrials in Gülen-linked cases

Erdoğan’s Civil Death Project’ : The ‘politicide’ spanning more than a decade

Fethullah Gülen’s Vision and the Purpose of Hizmet

In Case You Missed It

Pro-gov’t media continues smear campaign against Hizmet movement

AK Party government removing critical voices from state bodies

Reasons to be worried about Turkey’s direction

Minister says ‘parallel state’ claims not realistic, cites lack of evidence

My Nominee for the Nobel Peace Prize is Fethullah Gulen

Turkish Gov’t Systematically Violated 12 Fundamental Rights During Emergency Rule

Prominent columnist Bağdat slams persecution of Hizmet

Copyright 2026 Hizmet News