Erdogan to meet rivals on charter reform

AK Party say changes part of EU bid
Reuters

ANKARA: Turkey’s prime minister said on Friday his party would hold talks with the opposition next week on proposed changes to the Constitution, which secularists see as a direct challenge by the Islamic-leaning government.

The ruling AK Party has said it will seek to win parliamentary approval for the changes – a requirement for Turkey’s European Union membership bid – but has warned opponents it could hold a referendum to push through reforms.

“Parliament has the authority, the will and the strength to pass these reforms. I want to believe the opposition will behave with common sense. This is a very urgent need for Turkey,” Tayyip Erdogan told AK Party officials in a speech.

“Our colleagues will ask for appointments from opposition parties and will share the contents of the reforms next week,” he added.

The AK Party, which has its roots in political Islam, says changes are needed to curb powers of a conservative judiciary opposed to reforms and to bring Turkey closer to EU standards.

Critics accuse the AK Party, which has a huge majority in parliament, of using liberal reform as a cover for the encroachment of religious rule, and have threatened to take any changes to the charter to the Constitutional Court. The AK Party denies it has an Islamist agenda.

Investors are closely monitoring how hard the government wants to push the changes, which could pit it against a secular elite with strongholds in the judiciary and the military.

Source: The Daily Star.
Link: http://www.dailystar.com.lb/article.asp?edition_id=10&categ_id=2&article_id=112939.