Erdogan calls for the formation of a "Great Turkish Consensus"

According to Kurdistan Press, in his speech at the opening ceremony of the new legislative year of the Turkish Parliament, Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan described the PKK disarmament process and the "Strengthening National Solidarity and Social Integration" law as factors that increase the country's strength and deterrence.

Erdogan said: "The consensus formed on Turkey without terror has upset the country's enemies. This process is already having a deterrent effect against Turkey's enemies and is making the country stronger.»

The Law on Strengthening National Solidarity and Social Integration was passed by parliament in August after months of political deliberations. The 12-article law was approved with 468 votes in favor, 88 against and six abstentions.

The law includes provisions on postponing the execution of sentences and prosecutions within the framework of the process of disarming and dissolving the PKK.

Confrontation and polarization must give way to agreement

In his speech, Erdogan said that the period of opposition aimed solely at rejecting government actions is over and that regional and global developments have necessitated a different policy.

He added: “Reducing politics to hostility with rivals and a war of attrition, instead of competing to provide the best services to the people, is a big mistake. Regional and global developments require us to pursue a new style of politics.»

The Turkish president said the country was now caught between two paths: continuing the old policy of polarization or creating a new one in which competition is accompanied by finding common ground and agreement.

According to Erdogan, if the goal is to make Turkey a great and powerful country again and seize historical opportunities, all political currents must adapt to this change without wasting time.

When Erdogan took the stage to speak, representatives of the New Party (YP), the main opposition party, left the public chamber of parliament.

Disagreements are the wealth of Turkish democracy

Erdogan stressed that he did not expect all parties to have the same views or to be completely aligned with each other.He said: “Different views are the wealth of Turkey and its democracy; but all political parties must prioritize Turkey and pursue a Turkey-centric policy, relying on their capacities and social base.”

The Turkish president added that reconciliation and tolerance should replace conflict and polarization, and that parties should reach an agreement on fundamental and common issues for all the people of the country.

He said: “This is what we mean by the great consensus of Turkey.”

Erdogan: Parliament has the authority to draft a new constitution

In another part of his speech, Erdogan considered the drafting of a new, civilian constitution a test to measure the maturity of Turkey’s democracy.

He said that parliament has the authority and power to draft a constitution at any time and under any circumstances, and that the new constitution should be the product of a policy based on competition within the framework of an agreement, not the result of political polarization.Erdoğan added: “Our nation’s desire for a new constitution should not be held hostage to fabricated fears. Our position on the first four articles of the current constitution is clear.”

He considered the drafting of a civilian constitution in line with the vision of the “Turkish Century” a real test of the sincerity of political movements and expressed hope that the new legislative year would become a year of constitutional reform.

The current Turkish constitution was drafted in 1982, following a military coup. It has been amended many times over the decades; the most important amendments were made in the 2017 referendum, which paved the way for the transition from a parliamentary system to a presidential executive system.Erdogan and Turkish Parliament Speaker Numan Kurtulmus have repeatedly called for a new civilian constitution, arguing that the current law, despite numerous amendments, still carries the legacy of military rule.