AKP, CHP agree on the need for a new charter

Turkey's ruling and main opposition parties have agreed on the need for a new constitution which will highlight democratic norms and human rights in a libertarian approach, during a meeting between the parties' leaders, which also brought about a joint understanding to fasten the adoption of legal arrangements required by the European Union.

However, differences over the adoption of the presidential system remained intact, as the main opposition Republican People's Party (CHP) said it was sticking to its position supporting the parliamentary system. 

Prime Minister Ahmet Davuto?lu, the leader of the ruling Justice and Development Party (AKP) paid a visit to CHP head Kemal K?l?çdaro?lu in parliament as part of his tour of opposition leaders to seek their support for the new constitution and other reform packages. The meeting between the two leaders lasted two hours and 15 minutes. 

"We have offered the revival of the parliamentary conciliation commission that operated in previous legislative terms with the participation of all political parties represented with an equal number of lawmakers. We have offered the continuation of this work which brought an agreement on around 60 articles, except for those on the description of the executive power," CHP spokesperson Haluk Koç told reporters after the talks. 

"There is a full agreement between the two parties for Turkey to get rid of this constitution, a product of the [1980] military coup, and form a new constitution," AKP spokesperson Ömer Çelik told journalists at a press conference on Dec. 30, adding the prime minister welcomed the idea of the revival of the commission but the picture needed more clarity from his later meeting with the nationalist opposition leader. Çelik thanked the...