Cemil Çiçek

Turkish soldiers guard the Silivri Prison in Istanbul, where many journalists and political prisoners held. Photo: EPA-EFE/TOLGA BOZOGLU

The former students at the Air Force Academy started to be released from prison early on Wednesday.

It is futile and baseless to launch a discussion about the election rule of 50 percent plus one vote for electing the president, the Nationalist Movement Party (MHP) leader has said, reiterating its loyalty to the People's Alliance with the ruling Justice and Development Party (AKP). 

The constitutional obligation of garnering 50 percent plus one vote for being elected as the president causes serious political and systemic problems, a senior presidential aide and veteran politician has said, calling on both the government and the opposition to come together to fix it.

It was May 7, 2004, and Justice and Development Party (AK Party) Justice Minister Cemil Çiçek was at the podium in parliament, saying: "These amendments are a milestone in the history of the Republic of Turkey. They will hopefully further institutionalize our democracy, and our rights and freedoms will reach a more advanced point with these amendments." 

Turkey's impressive democratization process began in late 1999 after the European Union approved Ankara's full membership candidacy to the bloc at the historic Helsinki Summit. As a diplomatic correspondent who has been covering the troubled relationship between Turkey and the EU for more than two decades, I had the chance to observe all phases and all dimensions of this bitter process. 

A group of former Justice and Development Party (AKP) ministers and other senior figures from the ruling party shared their concerns over the upcoming referendum at a April 16 meeting with Prime Minister Binali Yıldırım, according to sources. 

The ruling Justice and Development Party (AKP) brought together prominent party figures, past and present, in a bid to mobilize them ahead of the April 16 referendum on shifting Turkey to an executive presidential system, though former President Abdullah Gül and former Prime Minister Ahmet Davutoğlu were not present at the meeting. 

"Give up on PYD and instead let us fight against ISIL along with the Turkmen and Arab groups." This was the proposal made by the Turkish officials to their American counterparts last week during President Recep Tayyip Erdo?an's trip to the U.S. In return for the intervention of Turkish troops on the ground, they asked for American air cover.

Give up on the Democratic Union Party [PYD] and instead let us fight against the Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant [ISIL] along with the Turkmen and Arab groups." This was the proposal made by the Turkish officials to their American counterparts last week during President Recep Tayyip Erdo?an's trip to the U.S.

The Turkish Parliament is set to launch a fresh initiative as an inter-party commission will meet for the first time on Feb. 4 with the task of writing a new charter, nearly two years after failing to do so.