Constitutional amendment

BRUSSELS - The European Parliament's Committee on Foreign Affairs (AFET) passed with an overwhelming majority on Tuesday a report on Serbia urging the EU to open new chapters in the accession talks with the country, calling on Belgrade to focus on rule of law reforms and normalisation of relations with Kosovo.

Turkey is no longer polarized. Polarization has reached to such dimensions that as if several "nations of extremes" are living side by side in this country, not only ignoring the sensitivities of the "other" nations but trying to prove their superiority in every way possible. Can this be called "the culture of the powerful"?

A delegation of the Venice Commission, headed by Honorary President Hanna Suchocka, has arrived in Turkey to hold talks with Turkish authorities on the recent constitutional amendments.  

The visit is conducted within the framework of the preparation of an opinion on the constitutional amendments requested by the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe.

Main opposition Republican People's Party (CHP) leader Kemal Kılıçdaroğlu on Feb. 15 said voting "no" in the upcoming referendum on the constitutional amendments would not create an environment of chaos, but voting "yes" would pull the country into a "catastrophe."

Individual access to constitutional justice is being made available in Bulgaria at the moment, more than a year after constitutional amendments paved the way.

Turkey's Supreme Election Board (YSK) has announced constitutional referendum will be hold on April 16, state-run Anadolu Agency has reported.
Head of Turkey's Supreme Election Board Sadi Güven confirmed the date of constitutional referendum as April 16. 

President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan approved constitutional amendments on Feb. 10 that will bring drastic changes to the country's political system, including a shift to an executive presidential system from the current parliamentary system, clearing the way for a referendum to be held on April 16. 

Lawmakers in Bulgaria will hold their last plenary session before the current legislature is disbanded.

Amendments to the Civil Code that would allow the introduction of European standards and a European distraint order and changes to laws on property and agricultural land are among the several items on the agenda.

The Turkish Parliament made the way to the holding of a referendum in the spring which will determine whether the powers of the president will be extended.

The draft for amendments to the constitution was approved by deputies at second reading late on Friday night.

Turkey's parliament on Jan. 20 approved Article 12 of an 18-item constitutional amendment package in the second round of voting in a move to shift the country's government system to an executive presidential system.  
The article, which outlines the president's authority to declare a state of emergency, was approved with 342 votes in favor, 12 over the necessary threshold.