Ali İhsan Yavuz: The confusion between the Supreme Court and the Constitutional Court stems from the lack of clarity in the Constitution.

05.11.2025 15:21

The Deputy Chairman of the AK Party, Ali İhsan Yavuz, made statements regarding current issues. Yavuz stated, "The confusion between the Supreme Court and the Constitutional Court, and even between civil and criminal courts as seen in the case of the CHP, stems from the lack of clarity in the Constitution. This is why we are calling for a new Constitution."

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AK Party Deputy Chairman and Election Affairs President Ali İhsan Yavuz met with journalists as part of the 'Anatolian Conversations' program organized by the Turkey Press Federation. Yavuz evaluated the current political developments, the future of the People's Alliance, the internal discussions within the CHP, and judicial decisions.

Throughout the meeting, Yavuz made striking statements regarding both alliance relations and the balance of law and politics, emphasizing "the interests of the nation" in Turkey's fundamental issues.

"THE PEOPLE'S ALLIANCE PLACES THE INTERESTS OF THE NATION AT THE CENTER"

Yavuz recalled that he has been serving as the President of Election Affairs in the AK Party for about 15 years and stated that he has been directly involved in the alliance processes since 2018. Yavuz said he personally participated in all alliance discussions held with the MHP, stating, "I have been present in all alliance discussions that the AK Party and the Nationalist Movement Party have held so far. I have seen this clearly: Neither the AK Party nor the MHP acted with an understanding that prioritizes the gains of their own parties. Both leaders view the issue from the perspective of the nation's and the country's interests," he said.

"EXPECTING A SPLIT IN THE ALLIANCE IS FUTILE"

Yavuz characterized the relationship between President Erdoğan and MHP leader Devlet Bahçeli as "a partnership based on state wisdom." Yavuz stated, "There has never been a break between our President and Devlet Bey. Because both prioritize what is beneficial for Turkey. As long as this understanding continues, expecting a split in the alliance is futile," he said.

Evaluating some circles' comments that "the alliance is breaking up," Yavuz said, "Some of these are merely wishes." He added, "Some are asking questions in good faith, but some openly desire the dissolution of this alliance," and emphasized, "However, we will walk together tomorrow as we have until today. There can be no conflict in a matter that is in the interest of the nation."

"CHP'S REFUSAL TO RECOGNIZE JUDICIAL DECISIONS IS A VERY DANGEROUS UNDERSTANDING"

Yavuz also spoke about the judicial discussions that arose during and after the CHP's Istanbul Provincial Congress process. Criticizing the CHP's statements about not complying with court decisions, Yavuz said this is "an attitude that will harm the foundation of the law." He continued his remarks as follows;

"Recently, the CHP has openly declared that it will not comply with judicial decisions. This is a very risky approach. In the past, we found some decisions of the Constitutional Court to be wrong, but we never said 'we do not recognize them.' We respected the law. What the CHP is doing is directly questioning the legal order."

Yavuz recalled that although his party criticized the Constitutional Court's decisions regarding headscarves in the past, it never took any steps towards "non-compliance," and continued his remarks;

"The Constitutional Court made an unconstitutional decision in 2008. I still say that decision is wrong today. But we never said we do not comply with that decision. Our President has never said 'I do not recognize the court's decision.' We have never given up on respecting the law."

"CHP HAS INCREASED ITS OWN CRISIS"

Yavuz also addressed the dual leadership issue within the CHP Istanbul Provincial Presidency, stating, "The CHP created this picture with its own hands." Yavuz said, "Currently, the CHP has two provincial chairpersons in Istanbul. This is entirely the result of the party's own preferences. If you have an objection to a court decision, you should do it within the law. But if you say 'I do not recognize it, I will continue in another building,' you will exacerbate this chaos," he said.

Yavuz pointed out that the CHP has adopted an attitude that prioritizes politics over law during this process, and continued:

"If it were us, we would comply with the court decision, and if we saw a deficiency, we would try to correct it in the Parliament. The CHP, on the other hand, is doing the opposite; it is resorting to politics instead of the court."

"THE COURTS HAVE AUTHORITY; BUT THEIR DECISIONS CAN BE DISCUSSED"

Yavuz stated that the decisions made by the courts regarding intra-party elections can also be evaluated within the law, expressing, "Some circles say 'no one can interfere in these matters except the YSK.' This is not true. Article 79 of the Constitution covers general elections; however, the internal elections of political parties are subject to different regulations. The Political Parties Law grants authority to the courts in such cases. Therefore, the decisions of the courts are legitimate, but their content can be discussed," he evaluated.

Yavuz also drew attention to the division of duties between civil and criminal courts, stating, "One imposes penalties, the other determines the legal order; this is the natural structure of the legal system."

"A NEW CONSTITUTION WILL PREVENT THESE CHAOS"

Yavuz referred to the authority disputes that sometimes arise between the Constitutional Court and the Court of Cassation in Turkey, stating that the current Constitution leads to such confusions. Yavuz continued his remarks as follows;

"Today, the confusion between the Court of Cassation and the Constitutional Court, and even between civil and criminal courts as in the CHP's case, arises from the lack of clarity in the Constitution. This is why we want a new Constitution. A regulation that will clarify both the powers of the judiciary and the relationships between institutions is necessary."

Yavuz also reminded that work is ongoing in the Constitutional Commission established within the AK Party, stating, "We have established a commission under the chairmanship of Mr. Cevdet. I am also serving in that commission. We believe that the Constitution needs to be changed because the current text contains gaps that will challenge the principle of the rule of law in many respects."

PROCESS RELATED TO DEMİRTAŞ'S FILE

When journalists asked about the judicial decision regarding Selahattin Demirtaş's release, Yavuz stated that he was not aware of the content of the file but emphasized that, as a general principle, "the functioning of the judiciary should be respected." Yavuz said, "I do not know the details of this file.

But our fundamental approach is clear. The legal process operates, courts make decisions, and politicians respect those decisions. He stated, "In our understanding, there is no intervention in the judiciary."

"OUR PRESIDENT'S LINE IS VERY CLEAR"

Yavuz shared President Erdoğan's instructions regarding party management and alliance relations, saying;

"Our President always says one thing when sending us to any table: First, consider what is beneficial for the nation. Then think about the interests of the People's Alliance. Finally, look at the party's interests. We work with this understanding."

"THE RULE OF LAW IS OUR RED LINE"

Yavuz emphasized that the most important element in Turkey's democratic maturity is "commitment to the law," stating, "The rule of law is our red line. Not everyone has to like judicial decisions, but everyone must comply. Politicians do not direct the judiciary; the judiciary sustains the state with its independence. We will never compromise on this understanding," he said.

"THE NEW CONSTITUTION MUST HAVE A SPIRIT"

Touching on the new Constitution studies, Yavuz stated that the current Constitution is not just a text, but also has "a spirit." However, he expressed that this spirit has worn out over time and made the following assessment;

"The Constitution has a preamble, friends, it has a spirit. Sometimes it has a spirit that no one knows. This spirit needs to be revitalized. We need to discuss whether the preamble is included in the text or not, whether it should be this long, all of it. But we want to prepare a completely new, civil, and democratic Constitution while preserving those first four articles."

"ELECTIONS WILL BE IN 2028, THE PARLIAMENT CAN ADVANCE THE DATE IF IT WISHES"

In response to a question from journalists about the election date, Yavuz replied, "I foresee that the elections will be held in 2028." Yavuz stated, "I express my opinion clearly, I say it with conviction. I see that the elections will be in 2028. But this is my prediction. The Parliament can advance the election date if it wishes. This is entirely a political decision dependent on the will of the Parliament," he said.

Yavuz noted that the Parliament can decide to advance the election according to the Constitution and election legislation, stating that a two-thirds (360 deputies) majority is sufficient, and added, "If the Parliament wishes, it can decide even today. It can say that the elections will be held in this month of 2028. If the CHP is really willing, we can sit down and make a decision today. But ultimately, regardless of the date, I believe that the elections will be held in the best possible way," he stated.

CANDIDACY OF THE PRESIDENT

Regarding the question of whether President Erdoğan can run again, Yavuz also pointed to the initiative of the Parliament in this matter. Yavuz said, "We hope, expect, and wish for the Parliament to make a decision that paves the way for our President's candidacy. The authority in this matter lies with the Parliament."

"WE DID NOT CLOSE THE DOORS"

In response to the question from journalists, "Will alliances with parties like Saadet, DEVA, or the Future Party come up again in the upcoming elections?" Yavuz replied, "We are continuing on our path without closing the doors." Yavuz stated, "Look, we did not close the door to anyone. We are continuing on our path. Those who come come, those who go go. We did not say 'don't come' to anyone, but we are not making special calls to anyone either. Everyone makes their own decision," he said.

In response to the question, "What happens if Davutoğlu or Babacan returns to the AK Party?" Yavuz replied:

"They left without us closing the door. We are neither opening nor closing. We are a party bound by principles. We have principles; whoever comes comes through those principles."

"OUR PRESIDENT NEVER COMPROMISES ON HIS PRINCIPLES"

Yavuz shared a striking anecdote about President Erdoğan's perspective on elections, stating;

"I have been closely observing our President for many years. He is not a leader who thinks, 'I will win the election at any cost.' He is far from the understanding of 'I will win however I can.' I have seen this many times."

Yavuz recalled Erdoğan's ethical stance on "Syrians" by giving an example from the 2019 Istanbul elections, continuing his words as follows;

"At a meeting, someone said, 'The issue of Syrians is politically damaging, let's make a statement saying we will send them back.' Our President said without a second thought: 'We opened the doors so that Syrians would not die. This was our humanitarian duty. I will not politicize this issue. Even if I lose all the elections, I will not say a word that would go against God's power.' This is our understanding of politics. We exist with our principles, and we continue with our principles."

"THE ESPIONAGE FILE IS VERY DEEP, IT MAY SPOIL TURKEY'S MOOD"

In the final part of the meeting, in response to the question raised by journalists about the "political espionage case," Yavuz stated that Turkey will be very busy with this file in the upcoming period. Yavuz said, "My prediction, opinion, and feeling are as follows; This espionage file will be talked about a lot in Turkey. This is a much deeper issue than it seems. We are talking about a file involving names like Seher Alaçam, Hüseyin Gül, Ekrem İmamoğlu, and Necati Özkan. This is not just a case; it may also lead to the revelation of other things," he stated.

INTERNATIONAL CONNECTION

Yavuz also hinted that there may be international connections in the file, saying, "Would I be this uneasy if there were no international connections? Think about it, all of Istanbul's confidential information may have been transferred to other countries. I say it's a possibility, but even this sends shivers down one's spine. That's why I am afraid," he assessed.

Yavuz noted that the political dimension of the espionage file is important not only in terms of security but also in terms of data privacy, stating, "Turkey will discuss this issue, it is inevitable." Yavuz said, "I want to make a note in history here. This espionage file is much deeper than it seems. It may lead to developments that will spoil Turkey's mood. If our predictions are correct, this issue will be one of the most important topics on the country's agenda in the upcoming period," he stated.

"THE AK PARTY IS UNRIVALED IN DIGITAL ELECTION MANAGEMENT"

Yavuz also addressed a question regarding election nights, emphasizing the technological capacity of the AK Party:

"The election monitoring systems we have established cannot be caught by other parties even a hundred years from now. I am not saying this as a talent; the AK Party organization operates these systems with a leader like Recep Tayyip Erdoğan. We are managing the field with more than a million people through an AI-supported, digital election network. The CHP's attempt to manage the system that night was completely amateurish.

"WE CONTINUE ON OUR PATH WITH PRINCIPLES"

At the end of his speech, Yavuz made a general assessment regarding his party's political style and concluded his remarks as follows;

"In our politics, principle is fundamental. No matter who comes or goes, we do not deviate from the truths. Under the leadership of our President, we will do whatever is for the benefit of this country. There may be political competition, there may be discussions, but we will not take a step without principles."

The program concluded with a commemorative photo session after the answers to the journalists' questions.