Wednesday saw the introduction of a new “civilian” constitution, as promised by Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan.
Erdogan declared this following a lengthy Cabinet meeting in the Turkish capital of Ankara that lasted more than eight hours. “We will work together to bring a civilian constitution to Türkiye,” he added.
He emphasised the significance of leaving behind the current constitution, which was crafted by the military junta after the 1980 coup. “We want to follow our journey in the second century of our republic under the guidance of a civilian, liberal, inclusive constitution that will be embraced by all segments,” he said.
The presidential system was praised by Erdogan as well. He said: “Our nation rejected the attempts to revert to the old system with its will in the elections on May 14 and May 28. Discussions about the parliamentary system were adjourned indefinitely.
Following a public vote, Turkey approved the executive presidential system of government in 2017 and put it into effect a year later.
Turkish officials have praised the advantages of the new system, claiming it eliminates inefficiencies and allows for the administration to function more efficiently.
Tour of Northern Cyprus and Azerbaijan
Erdogan claimed to have travelled to Azerbaijan and the Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus (TRNC) for the first time since being reelected on May 28.
“With the Turkish Cypriots, who are an essential component of the Turkish nation, we shall continue to fight side by side. We will never allow our nation’s or the TRNC’s rights to be usurped, he said.
Regarding Azerbaijan, Erdogan noted that during talks with Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev, various decisions were made to strengthen their bilateral ties.
He continued, “We have established a shared objective to raise the trade volume to $15 billion.
Erdogan added that the Turkish-Azerbaijani university’s establishment was given top importance.
“We emphasised our support for the ongoing normalisation process with Armenia,” he continued.