TÜS?AD calls for broad participation in drafting new Turkish charter

 
TÜS?AD chairwoman Ümit Boyner

The head of Turkey’s leading business group has called for broad societal participation in the preparation of a new Turkish constitution.
Ümit Boyner, head of the Turkish Industry and Business Association, or TÜS?AD, said Turkey needed a pluralist parliamentary democracy that includes the separation of powers, sound control and balance mechanisms, judicial independence and transparency.
Speaking at a meeting organized by the Turkish Enterprise and Business Federation, or TÜRKONFED, in the southern province of Antalya, Boyner said they expected the new constitution process to receive the full participation of various bodies in the country, a reference to TÜS?AD’s recent report, “Expectations of Business World regarding New Legislative Session.”

“It is of great importance for the political parties and election laws to be more participative and democratic in their approach to democratization during the preparation process of the new constitution,” Boyner said.

Noting that the independence of the judiciary is very important, Boyner also emphasized the critical nature of a system of fundamental rights and freedoms in accordance with the Europe Convention of Human Rights in which judicial independence is well protected and all state actions are subjected to judicial supervision, among other requests.

“All the political parties, nongovernmental organizations and other related bodies should state their views about the new constitution before the elections in order to get the full participation of the public in time,” said Boyner.

“It is the fundamental right of a country’s citizens, who will vote in general elections, to know about the views and suggestions of the political parties regarding the new constitution – the main social contract,” the TÜS?AD head said.

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