Latest news with #AKParti
Asharq Al-Awsat
27-05-2025
- General
- Asharq Al-Awsat
Erdogan Appoints Legal Team to Draft New Constitution, Sparking Fears of Extended Rule
Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan said Tuesday he has appointed a team of legal experts to start working on a new constitution — which critics say could allow him to remain in power beyond 2028, when his current term ends. Erdogan, who has led Türkiye as president since 2014 and was prime minister for more than a decade before that, has advocated for a new constitution arguing that the current one, which was drafted following a military coup in 1980, is outdated and retains elements of military influence even though it was amended several times, Reuters reported. 'As of yesterday, I have assigned 10 legal experts to begin their work, and with this effort, we will proceed with the preparations for the new constitution,' Erdogan told his ruling party's local administrators in a speech. 'For 23 years, we have repeatedly demonstrated our sincere intention to crown our democracy with a new civilian and libertarian constitution.' Under the current constitution, Erdogan cannot run again unless early elections are called or the legal framework is changed. Critics see the push for a new constitution as a possible path for re-election, allowing legal changes that would bypass the constitutional term limits. Erdogan, who has grown increasingly authoritarian over the years, has denied seeking a new constitution in order to remain in power, saying last week 'we want the new constitution not for ourselves, but our country.' Erdogan's ruling party and its nationalist allies lack the votes needed to usher in a new constitution. Some analysts believe the government's recent effort to end the decades-long conflict with the militant Kurdistan Workers' Party, or PKK, is part of strategy to gain the support of a pro-Kurdish party in parliament for the new charter. The effort to introduce a new constitution comes months after Ekrem Imamoglu, the popular mayor of Istanbul and a key Erdogan rival, was arrested and jailed on corruption charges. His arrest has been widely viewed as politically motivated although the government insists Türkiye's judiciary is independent and free of political influence. It triggered widespread demonstrations calling for his release and an end to Türkiye's democratic backsliding under Erdogan.
Euronews
20-03-2025
- Politics
- Euronews
Thousands rally in Istanbul for second night to protest against mayor İmamoğlu's arrest
ADVERTISEMENT Thousands of people have gathered outside Istanbul's city hall for a second consecutive night to protest against the arrest of the city's mayor, which many view as a politically driven attempt to eliminate a key rival from the next presidential race. Ekrem İmamoğlu, a prominent political opponent of President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan, was arrested after a dawn raid on his residence on Wednesday as part of investigations into alleged corruption and terror links. Prosecutors accuse him of exploiting his position for financial gain, including the improper allocation of government contracts. In a separate investigation, prosecutors also accuse him of aiding the outlawed Kurdistan Workers' Party (PKK), by allegedly forming an alliance with Kurdish groups for the Istanbul municipal elections. Police officers block protesters as they march during a protest against the arrest of Istanbul Mayor Ekrem İmamoğlu in Istanbul, 20 March, 2025 AP Photo The PKK, behind a decades-long insurgency in Turkey, is designated a terrorist organisation by Ankara, the EU, the US and other allies. It was not clear when authorities would begin questioning the mayor, who can be detained without charges for up to four days. Analysts say İmamoğlu could be removed from office and replaced by a 'trustee mayor' if he is formally charged with links to the PKK. The detention of İmamoğlu has deepened concerns over democracy and sparked protests in Istanbul and elsewhere in the country, despite a four-day ban on demonstrations in the city and some road closures. It also caused a shockwave in the financial market, triggering temporary halts in trading on Wednesday to prevent panic selling. AK Parti rejects accusations of interference Critics see the crackdown as an effort by Erdoğan to extend his more then two-decade rule following significant losses by the ruling party in local elections last year. Government officials reject claims that legal actions against opposition figures are politically motivated and insist that the courts operate independently. Omer Celik, the spokesperson of Erdoğan's ruling Justice and Development Party (AK Parti), dismissed allegations by the opposition that the detentions were government-orchestrated and urged respect for the judicial process. "What a politician should do is to follow the judicial process," Celik told journalists. "None of us have any information about the content of the (criminal) file." Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan speaks during a joint press conference with Syria's interim president following talks in Ankara, 4 February, 2025 AP Photo He also rejected accusations levelled by the main opposition Republican People's Party (CHP) that the mayor's arrest amounted to a coup saying, "The name of our party, our president can only be associated with democracy — on the opposite side of a coup." Earlier on Thursday, Interior Minister Ali Yerlikaya said authorities had detained dozens of people for sharing "provocative" social media content related to the İmamoğlu's detention. ADVERTISEMENT Authorities identified 261 social media accounts that shared posts that allegedly incited public hatred or crime, including 62 that are run by people based abroad, Yerlikaya wrote on X. At least 37 of the suspected owners were detained and efforts to detain other suspects were continuing. İmamoğlu's arrest came just days before he was expected to be nominated as the CHP presidential candidate in a primary scheduled for Sunday. The party's leader has said the primary will go ahead as planned. ADVERTISEMENT İmamoğlu and other charges Before his detention, İmamoğlu already faced multiple criminal cases that could result in prison sentences and a political ban. He is also appealing a 2022 conviction for insulting members of Turkey's Supreme Electoral Council, a case that could result in a political ban. This week, a university nullified his diploma, citing alleged irregularities in his 1990 transfer from a private university in northern Cyprus to its business faculty, a decision İmamoğlu said he would challenge. Istanbul's Mayor Ekrem İmamoğlu addresses supporters in front of the Istanbul courthouse, 31 January, 2025 AP Photo The decision effectively bars him from running for president, since the position requires candidates to be university graduates. ADVERTISEMENT İmamoğlu was elected mayor of Turkey's largest city in March 2019, a historic blow to Erdoğan and the president's AK Parti, which had controlled Istanbul for quarter of a century. Erdoğan's party pushed to void the municipal election results in the city of 16 million, alleging irregularities. The challenge resulted in a repeat of the election a few months later, which İmamoğlu also won.
