Turkish opposition demands revocation of constitutional amendments

Turkish opposition filed an action to the Constitutional Court demanding
revocation of parliamentary package of constitutional amendments,
official spokesman of oppositional Republican People’s Party (RPP) told
the journalists, RIA Novosti reports.

The republicans addressed the court after the Central Election
Committee’s announcement of universal prebiscite on constitutional
reforms on September 12th.

The government of Recep Tayyip Erdogan planned a referendum in July.
However, the committee announced that the act will come into force after
a year, that is why the referendum can only be held after 120 days from
the voting on amendments.

The package of amendments made by the Turkish ruling Justice and
Development Party (JDP) includes 29 changes to the Turkish Constitution,
adopted after the military coup on 12th September 1980. Amendments will
make adjustments in the Constitutional and Supreme Courts, possibility
of lawsuits by civic courts against the military, trial against
organizers of the last military coup, handing over of the power to
dissolute political parties from the Court of Appeal to the parliament.

The constitutional reform also introduces the institution of ombudsmen
and allows state employees to make collective agreements and hold
strikes.

Spokesmen of the Turkish government said repeatedly that the amendments were prepared in accordance with EU’s standards, sinceTurkey became a EU member in 2005.