PACE expects Turkey to adopt a new constitution, PACE Chairman Movlud Chavushoglu said at a press conference at the start its spring session today.
"I have encouraged the Turkish government to adopt a new constitution,” Chavushoglu said.
“The current constitution is the constitution of a military coup in 1980. I am satisfied with the process of constitutional reforms in Turkey,” he went on, adding that “Turkey ranks second after Russia for the number of complaints submitted to the European Court of Human Rights.”
“In this connection, I called for further reforms in the sphere of the Turkish judicial system,” he concluded.
The possible changes in the constitution are related to the extension of presidential powers, nomination of candidates for president, whose term in office expires, establishment of an ombudsman's institute, and improvement of the procedure of political parties ban.
Turkey will hold referendum on the constitutional amendments, which include an extension of the presidential term and making it harder to ban political parties.
