Justice and Development Party (AKP) Chair and President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan made remarks and answered questions from journalists on his return flight from his visit to Budapest, Hungary.
Reiterating his call for a new constitution, Erdoğan said, “The key question is whether the Republican People’s Party will embark on a journey with us to make a civil constitution. That is what matters. Come, let’s join forces.”
“We want a new constitution not for ourselves, but for our country. I have no intention to be re-elected or to run again,” Erdoğan added.
Responding to CHP Chair Özgür Özel’s remarks about early elections, Erdoğan said, “They’ve talked a lot about early elections in the sense Mr. Özel means. We won’t and can’t drag Türkiye into such an ordeal – there is no need for it.”
Remarks on the new peace process with PKK
In his remarks to reporters, Erdoğan made the following statements:
“The babies born when this problem first arose are now over 40. Multiple generations have been born into this issue, and it remained unresolved for years. From the very beginning, we have approached it sincerely, with a solution-oriented perspective. Because we know how a Turkey free of terrorism will rise. The greatest legacy we can leave to our children will be a Turkey without terrorism. Reaching this point after years of pain, loss, and struggle is truly a source of hope. Seeing this success today, in the shadow of unspeakable grief I felt at martyr funerals and the heart-wrenching acts of terror, is an indescribable source of pride for me. I am proud of our security forces – the heroes in the fight against terrorism – and I admire the resilience of the families of our martyrs. Behind every loss lies a deep sense of solidarity, patience, perseverance, and resolve.”
‘Strong politics benefits DEM’
“We cannot overlook the Diyarbakır mothers. We want them to no longer have tears in their eyes, to experience and live happiness. Soon, mothers will be reunited with their children. I believe we will receive this good news. We had discussed these matters with the late Sırrı Süreyya Önder and Pervin Buldan when they visited us. Our National Intelligence Organization [MİT], in coordination with other institutions, continues work related to a terrorism-free Turkey in a controlled manner. During my premiership, I spoke about burying weapons. Now, this has evolved into laying down arms and surrendering. When these steps are taken, our martyrs will finally rest in peace, God willing. On the other hand, as the grip of armed struggle loosens, the DEM Party has the opportunity to pursue its political struggle in a very different manner. They have over 50 MPs in Parliament. Being able to continue their political efforts more strongly will offer DEM new advantages. If DEM distinguishes itself in the new period, it will benefit both its base and our country.”
Call for a new constitution
“Turkey is changing, the world is changing. We are living in a new era and moving toward an even newer one. In a world changing this fast, is it possible to get anywhere with an old constitution prepared under coup conditions? No matter how many amendments it has gone through, it still bears the imprint of a coup mindset. Haven’t we experienced over the last 40 years just how difficult it is to unite society with a constitution written by coup plotters? Is there anyone who doesn’t know that many of today’s problems stem from the coup constitution? Throughout my political life, I have stressed the need for a civil, democratic, and libertarian constitution. I stand by that position today. Turkey cannot walk into the future with a constitution written by coup plotters. We need a constitution authored not by coup leaders, but by civilians. For this purpose, we in the AKP are working on it and have assigned some of our colleagues accordingly.”
‘Will CHP join us on this journey?’
“The key issue is whether the Republican People’s Party [CHP] will join us in a shared effort to draft a civil constitution. That is what matters. Let’s join forces. Let’s establish our commissions and, together with these commissions, swiftly prepare the civil constitution and present it to the people. Let it be both national and local. Let Turkey see and experience such a constitution. There is no reason it shouldn’t happen. There is no issue concerning the first four articles.”
‘I have no intention to run again’
“As the AKP, we have no such concern, and almost none of the other political parties do either. Since there is no problem with the first four articles [of the constitution], all we need to do is determine a roadmap. We can swiftly form our committees. We had done similar work during my premiership; we can do it again – it won’t take much time. We want a new constitution not for ourselves, but for our country. I have no intention to be re-elected or to run again.”
Article 1 declares Turkey as a republic, while Article 2 defines its essential characteristics, including democracy, secularism, and respect for human rights. Article 3 establishes the indivisible unity of the Turkish state, its territory, and nation, with Turkish as the official language. Article 4 declares these principles irrevocable, emphasizing that no proposal to amend them can even be submitted.
‘We are following the YPG issue’
“Will the YPG respond to the call [by Öcalan] made in Turkey? Or will it remain committed to the Mar 8 agreement in Damascus? Or will it do both? The PKK’s disarmament and dissolution process also includes its Syrian branch. We believe the Mar 8 agreement has gained more support from the calls coming out of Ankara and Iran. They are currently in a transitional and exploratory phase. We believe the coming days will be critical. Our relevant institutions are monitoring the process of all armed groups being integrated into the Syrian army with their counterparts. We are keeping a very close watch on the YPG issue in particular. It is important that the Damascus administration not lose focus on this issue. Because there are many matters they need to discuss right now. We are trying to keep them focused on this one.”
Response to snap and interim election debate
“The CHP has never shown any intention to fulfill their duty the nation gave them. After every election – or from their point of view, after every defeat – they start beating the drums of early elections. But this is what the CHP is like. Remember, their obsession with early elections isn’t new. It’s all they ever talk about. And what happens if there is an early election? Will they come to power? They have all the seats they currently hold – empty or not – make the most of them. If they spent the time they waste on early election calculations instead on serving the people, maybe they’d find a way into people’s hearts.”
“Besides, what Mr. Özel refers to is not an early election, but something else. That’s not called an early election – that’s an interim election. These two should not be confused. Furthermore, looking at the current composition of the parliament, there is no situation that requires an interim election. Two years ago, the people elected deputies to serve for five years. On the other hand, they have talked a lot about early elections in the way Mr. Özel means. We will not drag Turkey into such turmoil – we cannot, and there is no need for it. Turkey is currently going through one of the most stable and strong periods in its history. We are on the brink of ending terrorism with a spirit of full unity. We are successfully conducting an all-out fight against inflation. In foreign policy, thank God, our star is rising. As the People’s Alliance, we will not allow these to be jeopardized for someone’s whims.”
(AB/DT)
Source: BIANET
