European Forum

Turkish Parliament’s expectations for BDP boycott end have proven false

On 7 September Turkish Parliament Speaker Cemil Çiçek warned the main pro-Kurdish Peace and Democracy party (BDP), to be excluded from the new Turkish Constitution designing process following the party’s parliamentary boycott. He called on BDP members to put an end to their boycott, to take their parliamentary oaths, and to return to the Parliament on October 1 for its new session. 

Earlier, following the announcement by the ruling Justice and Development Party (AKP) to start talks on amending the parts of Turkey’s constitution of 1982, the 9-member Commission to lead the work on a new Constitution was formed , and the participation of two main opposition parties - CHP (Republic people Party) and MHP (Nationalist Movement party) – in the drafting of the new charter was confirmed. At the same time, the pro-Kurdish Peace and Democracy party deputies refused to participate in parliamentary hearings due to the lasting imprisonment of their 5 elected colleagues after the June 12 general elections in Turkey, the issue which also led to protests and clashes all around the country. 

Although in the end of August one of BDP’s co-leaders suggested to end the boycott on October 1, no official statements were provided on the issue and the expectations for ending the boycott have proven false, the fact that made PS Cemil Çiçek to push the question. 

Acclaimed pollster Tarhan Erdem expressed his view on BDP’s decision to continue boycott the Parliament suggesting that ‘ít was influenced by the [outlawed Kurdistan Workers’ Party] hard liners and the BDP was prevented from making the right decisions’. 

In order to pass the constitution reforms Turkey 's ruling AKP, headed by Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan will need to get support from the opposition or independent deputies to be able to propose changes to the document and to be able to pass it by referendum. On the other hand, the Peace and Democracy Party is equally interested in taking an active role in the work on the Constitution in order to make their voices heard. “They have no other choice,” PM Recep Tayyip Erdoğan expressed his certainty on BDP’s return to the Parliament.

Sources: HurriyetDailyNews, Todays Zaman, Ekopolitik.org, Turkish Weekly, UNDPI.org