Erzurum was the twelfth stop of the constitution marathon.

ERZURUM – The twelfth meeting of the Constitution Platform Citizens’ Assembly series was held in Erzurum on Sunday, 22 April 2012. The meeting attracted great attention and hosted lively debates until the end. The majority of citizens chose to attend the meeting with their children.

The series, carried out with the slogan “Turkey Speaks” under the secretariat of TEPAV with the initiative of the Constitution Platform consisting of syndicates, professional organizations and civil society organizations, is close to its end. The marathon, which started in Ankara and progressed with meetings in Konya, Edirne, Diyarbakir, Izmir, Antalya, Samsun, Bursa, Trabzon and Gaziantep, last visited Erzurum.

“Erzurum is the city to decide the future of Turkey, just as it did in the past”

Delivering the opening speech at the meeting held at Erzurum Cemal Gürsel Sports Hall, TOBB President M. Rifat Hisarcıklıoğlu drew attention to the historical importance of the city and said, “Erzurum is where the flames of independence were lit.  It is where the seed of the Turkish Republic was planted. Exactly 93 years ago, when the country was under invasion, the people’s will to be a nation was awoken during the Erzurum Congress here. People of different creeds and views put aside their differences. They formed a single fist and said, ‘The nation will stand united against the invasion.’ Just as Erzurum was the city where the fate of a nation was shaped in the past, so will it be the city where its future is decided. Today, you will contribute to the new constitution, the roadmap of our future.”

He stressed that the civil society organizations that contributed to the meeting had different ideas and world views banded together for the new constitution. He reiterated that it was vital for Turkey to make a new constitution in order to reach its goals.

He added, “Global balances have been changing rapidly. The western world that dominated the world for 150 years is stumbling and the sun is once again rising in the east. This process marks a new opportunity for Turkey.” Reminding the crowd of Turkey’s target to become a top ten economy by 2023, the centennial anniversary of the Republic, he went on: “We don’t have a single minute to waste. However, the current system is no longer compatible with these goals. We need a new constitution to reach our goals. The present system prevents the Turkish people from fulfilling their capacity. The current constitution limits us in every sphere. We are walking to our targets, but we have the ability to run.”

“We must succeed at this endeavor in this term”

Underscoring the need for a new constitution, Parliament Speaker Çemil Çiçek said, “We must succeed at this endeavor in this term. The answer to the question, ‘What if we fail?’ is that trust in politics will decrease and we will be stuck with this constitution that is the legacy of a military coup. Every issue that we raise and criticize about the current constitution that we call the coup constitution will remain unsolved. I hope that the year 2012 will be marked with a new constitution.”

He stressed that Erzurum had played a major role in Turkey’s independence and maintained that the outputs of the meetings carried out in several provinces including Erzurum would constitute the draft of the new constitution. Stating that 2012 had to bring a new constitution to Turkey, he went on, “The trust in the civil politics will be enhanced if we can make a civilian constitution with public participation. Civilian politics will have a higher degree of problem solving opportunity and capacity. The people of this country will be confident that the parliament is the place where all problems are discussed, negotiated and solved. We aim to accomplish this process via reconciliation, consensus and collaboration, with an inclusive perspective so that everyone embraces the new constitution.”

During the meeting, four members of the Constitution Committee as well as representatives from the civil society organizations and syndicates that are involved or that support the Constitution Platform delivered speeches.

BDP Iğdır MP Constitution Committee member Pervin Buldan said, “The new constitution must be democratic, libertarian, modern and individual-oriented. It must be drafted by the National Assembly and must be designed with a perspective to solve the fundamental problems of the country.”

MHP Erzurum MP Oktay Öztürk stressed that the Turkish constitutions so far were not ruled by the spirit of national will and the voice of the people. Addressing the participants, he spoke, “Those of you who hold the spirit of the Erzurum Congress of 1919, you must be the voice and the spirit of the new constitution.”

CHP Konya MP Constitution Committee member Atilla Kart said that the concepts of democracy and national had been left out of context during the 90 years since the beginning of the war of independence. He added, “We have to make a new constitution in order not to be a mere spectator during this process and not to be dependent on the political power.”

Stating that amendments that only dress the wound were not enough, AK Party Ankara MP Constitution Committee member Ahmet İyimaya pointed at the importance of the people’s will in the process. He said, “Erzurum, where the establishment and the independence of the country were decided, is today stating its will for a new constitution.”

Following the opening session, the participants discussed and voted on the options regarding the new constitution.