Republican People’s Party leaves constitutional commission

The main opposition Republican People’s Party (CHP) has left the Constitutional Commission in Turkey in protest against the intention of the ruling Justice and Development Party (AKP) to move from a parliamentary to a presidential system, the CHP Deputy Head Bülent Tercan said.

According to him, "the commission was supposed to be a cover" for such a transition. "We have refused to participate in it and the Parliament Speaker Ismail Kahraman declared that the commission would not work," RIA Novosti cited Tercan as saying.

A special commission of 12 deputies has been formed in Turkey to prepare a draft of the new Constitution.