CHP's Böke: Moving Away From Rule Of Law Is Turkey's Main Problem

Main opposition Republican People's Party (CHP) spokesperson Selin Sayek Böke has said Turkey's main problems are not the need for a new constitution or a presidential system, but a deteriorating rule of law and the lack of a proper democracy.
“Turkey doesn't have constitutional or regime problems. What we need is to restore the rule of law and establish a proper democracy. There's nothing more erroneous than determining a period of time for change, such as those that require social agreement [like establishing a proper democracy]. Whether it is 12 months or 24, it will take as much time as necessary. Setting a limited amount of time for changes such as these to happen is the most obvious sign of one's insincerity about them,” Böke told Today's Zaman on Friday.
President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan served as prime minister for more than a decade and ran in the presidential election in 2014 with the expectation of swift constitutional reforms that would grant the head of state new executive powers. But his plans have been impeded in part because of opposition fears over what they regard as his increasingly authoritarian style.
Opposition parties agree on the need to replace the current Constitution, born out of a military coup staged on Sept. 12, 1980 and still bearing the stamp of its military authors, in a country that is a candidate for European Union membership. But they oppose plans to entirely overhaul what is now a largely ceremonial presidency. The opposition also strictly objects to this “Turkish-style” presidential system, which they say seeks to consolidate all powers in the hands of one man. Currently, Erdoğan's role is meant to be largely ceremonial.
Commenting on the presidential system, Böke said Turkey should not change its regime of a parliamentary system of governance, but raise its standards to become a proper democracy.
“Our biggest problem right now is having a government and a president that disregard the law. The president acts as if he doesn't believe in the state of law, ordering district governors to set aside some part of the legislation when necessary. This is unacceptable. Turkey is a social state of law. It has no problems concerning the system of governance. Turkey has a parliamentary system of governance. Regimes are not established and changed whenever a person desires for it,” Böke emphasized.
Hosting dozens of district governors in his presidential palace in Ankara on Jan. 26, Erdoğan told them they can set aside some part of the legislation when necessary concerning the fight against terrorism particularly in the mainly Kurdish Southeast region.
Böke said the Kurdish problem can only be solved in Parliament by creating mechanisms that would establish peace across Turkey. “What caused the rise in terrorism again? ... Why did the peace process collapse? We know the reason for it, as well as what the alternative of this must be. … The CHP offers a way that includes solving the problem in Parliament by forming mechanisms that would establish peace across Turkey.”
A peace process, also known as the settlement process, was launched in 2012 by the Justice and Development Party (AK Party) government to end the long-standing Kurdish problem. However, this process collapsed in late July 2015 with the revival of clashes between the Kurdistan Workers' Party (PKK) and security forces in the predominantly Kurdish southeastern region.

EMRULLAH BAYRAK | ANKARA [Cihan/Today's Zaman]