NEW CONSTITUTION ADOPTED BY TURKEY TO CHANGE COUNTRY’S IMAGE IN WEST AND FACILITATE PROCESS OF EUROPEAN INTEGRATION

ARKA News Agency, Armenia
Aug 28 2007

YEREVAN, August 28. /ARKA/. The new Constitution adopted by Turkey
will change the country’s image in the West and will make easier the
process of its European Integration, said Prof. Ruben Safrastyan,
famous specialist in Turkic philology, Director of Department of
Turkish Studies at Institute of Oriental Studies, Armenian National
Academy of Sciences.

He said that Turkey has great expectations about the Justice and
Development Party (JDP) which won the parliamentary elections and
which will start the process of changes and adoption of the country’s
new Constitution.

Safrastyan pointed out that the statements of the Party’s leaders
testify to this. They point out that Turkey’s current Constitution
adopted as a result of military revolution in 1980 is militarized.

"The present situation in Turkey differs from those years, and there
is a necessity of paying more attention to human rights and maintenance
of democratic principles in the Constitution," Safrastyan said.

He said that the ruling party has already started the elaboration of
proposals for the new variant of the country’s Constitution, which
is planned to be over by the end of the year so that already in the
beginning of 2008 to start the process of its adoption.

"It is a very important aspect as it is connected not only with
internal processes in Turkey, but it will also allow changing
the country’s image in the West and make easier Ankara’s European
Integration process and membership in the European Union," said
Safrastyan.