The last Citizens’ Assembly was attended by more than one thousand people.
ISTANBUL – The thirteenth and the last meeting of the Constitution Citizens’ Assembly series, carried out under the secretariat of TEPAV with the initiative of the Constitution Platform consisting of syndicates, professional organizations and civil society organizations, was held in Istanbul on Saturday, 28 April 2012.
The meeting, held at Ataköy Athletics Hall, was attended by TOBB President M. Rifat Hisarcıklıoğlu, Parliament Speaker Cemil Çiçek, Constitution Committee Member AKP, CHP, MHP and BDP MPs, members of the Constitution Platform, representatives of local and national civil society organizations and randomly invited citizens. As expected, Istanbul had the highest level of participation among the thirteen Citizens’ Assembly meetings, with more than one thousand participants.
“We witnessed that people discussed issues maturely.”
Delivering an opening speech, TOBB President M. Rifat Hisarcıklıoğlu stressed that a total of 5,500 volunteer citizens had attended the twelve Citizens’ Assembly meetings held so far, and said, “Just like you, they came together around a table with people they didn’t know. Each expressed his or her own ideas. They discussed their views maturely. We saw the true spirit of our people in these meetings. We saw how our people could talk maturely and saw how much we have in common the more we talked.” Underscoring that civil society organizations that have different ideas and world views are coming together for the new constitution, he said:
“All of these organizations have different ideas and world views; all of them have different goals. If you were to ask, we would all say different things. However, we’ve come together for the future of this country. We have united our voices and souls. We travelled all around Turkey for a single goal. We all desire a new constitution that fits Turkey. Our hearts beat for a stronger Turkey.”
“We don’t have a single minute to waste.”
Stating that the current system was no longer compatible with the aspirations of Turkey, he emphasized that Turkey did not have a single minute to waste. He added that how the new constitution is drafted was as important as the new constitution per se. Stressing that the people had not had a say during the making of previous constitutions of Turkey, he went on:
“The Turkish National Assembly (TNA) says, ‘It will be the people of this country who will make the new constitution. This time, the people will have a say in the new constitution.’ Here we are as the clearest evidence of this commitment: politicians and civil society organizations have come to you. There is no struggle, exclusion or segregation here. Here will take place mature discussions and free and open speech.”
Concluding his speech, Hisarcıklıoğlu asked the participants to state their views openly and restated that the voice and the expectations of citizens would be conveyed to the Constitution Committee.
“This country needs unity and solidarity.”
Parliament Speaker Cemil Çiçek stated that they worked on behalf of citizens as members of the TNA and that citizens had the right and the authority to give instructions and make suggestions to the TNA. He said, “Your ideas and views will guide and determine the course of the efforts for the new constitution we are to initiate by May 1st.” He pointed at the steps to be taken in the making of the new constitution and the solution of the chronic problems of Turkey. In this context, he maintained:
“Among the twenty-two organizations here, some have conflicting interests and some are rivals. We have the representatives of employers, workers and professional groups. If Turkey is to make a new constitution and solve its problems, we all have to avoid holding forth and saying, ‘The country needs unity and solidarity, but political parties can never unify to solve problems.’ If Turkey is to solve its problems in unity and solidarity, we need to preserve and extend the atmosphere here. If we cannot, we cannot achieve anything or make progress. Then will politics go at cross purposes. Now is time to create good democracy practices in Turkey instead of aspiring to good examples from other countries. If we can protect this atmosphere just for a year, you will see that we can successfully overcome a number of problems.”
Stressing that the four political parties in the TNA had the duty to make a new constitution, he said, “We are obliged to make a new constitution. You are the debtees here. Keep a good account of the debt. There will be no letting down or coming with excuses. We will make a new constitution for sure. We have to fulfill this commitment in front of the whole world in order to secure the reputation of and the confidence in the political body, to confirm that the TNA is the sole and the only representative of Turkey’s issues and the only platform on which problems can be solved.”
Unity message
The meeting continued with speeches by MPs and representatives from the Constitution Platform member organizations. After speeches, TOBB President M. Rifat Hisarcıklıoğlu, Parliament Speaker Cemil Çiçek, Constitution Committee Member AKP, CHP, MHP and BDP MPs, members of the Constitution Platform, representatives of local and national civil society organizations joined hands for a group photo, giving the message that they joined their forces for the new constitution.
Following the opening session, citizens discussed and voted on approximately 50 questions on constitutional matters.
