Turkish politicians from the Republican People's Party (CHP) rebuked the European socialists over the weekend for pressuring them to back a proposed constitutional reform package.
The reform package, tabled by the ruling AK Party, a moderate Islamic party, is to be put to a crucial referendum on 12 September. The CHP, the country's oldest political party, is a member of Socialist International, the worldwide association of social democratic, socialist and labour parties.
A leading socialist lawmaker in the European Parliament, Austrian Socialist MEP Hannes Swoboda, recently called on the party to back the constitutional amendment package, saying the referendum would test whether the CHP "wants to be considered a true social democratic party".
Speaking at a conference in Antalya on 25 July, CHP leaders repeated their opposition to the reforms, arguing that the amendments are no more than a ploy by the ruling AK Party to seize control of Turkey's judiciary.
The CHP accuses the AK Party of using the constitutional reforms to undermine the independence of the judiciary and install supporters in top judicial posts as part of a long-term strategy to roll back Turkey's secular tradition.
CHP leaders denounced the government's attempts to push through the constitutional amendments in a single package, a practice opposed by the Council of Europe's Venice Commission (EurActiv 07/05/10).
Kemal Kılıçdaroğlu, leader of the CHP, was quoted by the Turkish press as saying he would seek better communication channels with European politicians as a result. "We will be sending Mr. Swoboda a special letter, explaining why we say 'no' to these changes from the perspective of justice and a democratic culture," Kılıçdaroğlu said.
EurActiv tried to contact Hannes Swoboda without success.
Urging the European Commission to listen to their concerns about the amendment package, Kılıçdaroğlu said Turkish opposition groups could be more active in making their case to their European counterparts.
Kılıçdaroğlu also stressed that the reform package would strip citizens of some of their rights if it is passed in the referendum. "For example, say a prosecutor has issued an arrest warrant for you or me, and we are the victim. The prosecutor announces the wire-tapping to the public without a court decision. I file a complaint to the Ministry of Justice, and if allowed by the ministry, go to the State Council. Normally, an investigation could be conducted," he said.
"This Constitution takes away these rights by stating that the Ministry of Justice cannot launch investigations, and thus takes away my right to go to the State Council," the CHP leader said, quoted by the daily Hürriyet.
Meanwhile, Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdoğan lashed out at the media and at the CHP, calling them "dishonest" and "deceitful" in their approach to the upcoming referendum, the daily Zaman wrote.
