NEW LEGISLATIVE YEAR KICKS OFF

Hurriyet Daily News
Wednesday, September 30, 2009

The Kurdish and Armenian initiatives begun by the ruling Justice and
Development Party, or AKP, government will remain among the top agenda
items of the Parliament

With the start of the Parliament’s new legislative Thursday, the
Kurdish and Armenian initiatives begun by the ruling Justice and
Development Party, or AKP, government will remain among the top agenda
items for Parliament.

The body will be preoccupied with a heavy agenda in the new year
after it opens with an address from President Abdullah Gul.

The Parliamentary General Assembly convenes at 3 p.m. and will
be chaired by Speaker of Parliament Mehmet Ali Å~^ahin. In his
address, Gul is expected to mention the Kurdish initiative and
Turkey’s relations with Armenia, highlighting the importance of the
normalization of relations between the two countries. Å~^ahin, who will
chair the general assembly for the first time as the speaker tonight,
will also hold a reception marking the opening of the new legislative
year. The invitation cards normally carry the name of the couple who
made the invitation, yet this year’s cards included only Mehmet Ali
Å~^ahin’s name, and not that of his wife.

It is also remains to be seen whether the Chief of General Staff and
the military commanders will attend the opening ceremony. Military
commanders have not attended the opening of Parliament since 2007
– except a session in which U.S. President Barack Obama made an
address during his visit to Turkey. Sources attribute the absence
of the military in the parliament to the presence of the pro-Kurdish
Democratic Society Party, or DTP, in the body.

Parliamentary authorization for cross-border operation

The fate of the Kurdish initiative will be determined by a
parliamentary decision. The discussions on whether the parliamentary
sessions on the Kurdish move should be open or closed sessions were
clarified when Turkish Prime Minister R at they would be ‘open.’ The
Kurdish initiative is expected to be discussed in Parliament on
opening day. Interior Minister BeÅ~_ir Atalay, the coordinator of
the government’s Kurdish initiative, will provide information on the
issue while the opposition parties also plan to share their opinion
on the matter.

Among the issues to be handled by Parliament in October is the
arrangement that allows children to be tried for throwing stones at
police or chanting illegal slogans in favor of the outlawed Kurdistan
Workers’ Party, or PKK, at street demonstrations. Such matters will
also be discussed in connection with the decisions of the European
Court of Human Rights, or ECHR.

Parliament will also discuss the authorization that is set to expire
on Oct. 17 that has permitted the military to conduct cross-border
incursions into northern Iraq for a period of one year. The decision to
extend for another year is not expected to be approved by Parliament
until Oct. 6. Furthermore, the assembly will also discuss the laws
that will be presented before Parliament in relation to Kurdish
initiative during this period.

Armenian move

The parliament’s second top priority agenda item is the Armenian
initiative. The protocols initialized by Turkey and Armenia are
expected to be brought to Parliament for discussion this month. The
AKP plans to discuss the issue in Parliament ahead of the national
football match between Turkey and Armenia on Oct. 14.

Presidential election

The adjustment law to the constitutional amendment that stipulates the
election of the president by public vote or referendum also remains
on the agenda for the upcoming month. The amendment clarifies the
methodology and timetable of the election.

Flood disaster

The main opposition Republican People’s Party, or CHP’s, demand to
discuss the flood disaster in Istanbul in Parliament will also be
brought up in the coming weeks.

Budget and economy laws

The Parliament will handle some laws that include economic arrangements
concerning the budget in Oct Commercial Law as well as a draft on
the Code of Obligations.

Okay’s situation

The CHP, meanwhile, will conduct the election for the post of deputy
leader for the parliamentary group. It is not certain whether the
current parliamentary group deputy leader Hakkı Suha Okay, whose
brother’s name has been associated with drug crime, will announce
his candidacy for the post again.