Anadolu Agency, Turkey
April 15 2010

Turkish PM rejects opposition’s call to change constitution reform package

Ankara: Turkish Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan rejected Wednesday
main opposition Republican People’s Party’s call to scrap part of a
government-backed constitutional bill.

CHP leader Deniz Baykal was referring to three articles of the
constitutional amendment bill over the make-up of the Constitutional
Court, the Supreme Board of Judges and Prosecutors, and a proposed
arrangement that would seek parliament’s approval to shut down a
political party. Baykal said his party would back only the rest of the
reforms.

"These (calls) are not serious. It is impossible for us to have a
positive approach to such proposals which water down a serious
matter," Erdogan told reporters at his arrival to Ankara from
Washington where he attended the Nuclear Security Summit.

"We do not have a counterproposal," Erdogan said.

A parliamentary committee passed government’s reform package on
Tuesday. The parliament is expected to start debating the
constitutional reforms next Monday.

The bill needs to get 367 votes in order to be adopted. If it receives
somewhere between 330 and 366 votes, the bill would be put to
referendum. If it receives less then 330 the bill will be rejected.
Erdogan’s ruling AK Party currently holds 336 seats in the parliament.
However, parliament speakers are not allowed to vote in the parliament
which reduces AK Party’s potential votes to 335.

If the bill is to be put to referendum, it will be voted as a whole.

The government made public the constitutional amendment bill on March
22. Opposition parties which are sceptical of the government bill,
have severely criticized the attempt, and said the move aimed at
taking over and politicizing the judiciary.

The Supreme Court, the Council of State and the Supreme Court of
Judges have also severely criticised the bill and accused the
government of attempting to infiltrate into the judiciary.

The government which denies accusations argues that the bill aims at
making Turkey more democratic in line with EU’s expectations.

Turkish Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan on Wednesday said a border
crossing between Turkey and Armenia would remain closed unless a
settlement was reached in the conflict over the Karabakh region.

"Occupation of Azerbaijan’s territory is the reason why our border
(with Armenia) was closed down in 1993. Now we want that to be fixed
and we are ready to take the step as soon as that happens," Erdogan
told reporters upon his arrival in Turkey from the United States where
he participated in a nuclear security summit meeting.

Erdogan said Turkey stood behind commitments it had made in protocols
with Armenia signed in October 2009 in Switzerland.

"We respect the principle of ‘pacta sund servanda’ and we are loyal to
what we have signed in Zurich. But no one has the right to impose
one’s own memories on Turkey as Turkey has never tried do to such a
thing," Erdogan said.

Replying to a question about Iran’s nuclear programme, Erdogan said,
"a different version of the Nuclear Security Summit in the USA on
April 12-13 will be held in Iran on April 16-17. Officials from Turkey
will be in attendance at the meeting. On numerous occasions, we have
stressed that a democratic and diplomatic solution is the only way
since anti-democratic attempts have always led to human tragedies. On
the other hand, Turkey is the only country among member states of the
United Nations Security Council having border with Iran. There have
been friendly relations between Turkey and Iran since the Treaty of
Zohab in 1639. Our border is about 380 km. Our trade volume exceeded
10 billion USD. Iran is our second biggest supplier of natural gas
behind Russia. We cannot leave aside all those relations. Our friends
should also asses it."

When asked whether Kurmanbek Bakiev, ousted leader of Kyrgyzstan,
sought asylum from Turkey, Prime Minister Erdogan said, "such a demand
has not been made. Foreign Minister Ahmet Davutoglu held a series of
telephone conversations with the US officials about the developments
Kyrgyzstan. We are ready to contribute all efforts to find a
solution."

Prime Minister Erdogan also expressed his profound sorrow over loss of
lives in the quake in China.