CHP says anti-terror panel should decide with qualified majority

ANKARA

The main opposition Republican People’s Party (CHP) has once again said the panel established to address legal and political aspects of the "terror-free Türkiye" project should function with a qualified majority.

Speaking to reporters at parliament on July 29, CHP Chairman Özgür Özel explained the conditions of the main opposition party to join the commission, soon to be announced by Parliament Speaker Numan Kurtulmuş.

“Our position regarding the commission is clear. We have been saying that this process should be run by the Parliament and this commission should have an equal representation [of the political parties],” Özel said.

However, the commission envisaged by Kurtulmuş will be formed in accordance with the proportion of the seats of the political parties, Özel recalled, stressing that “in this case, we essentially say that the decisions at the commission should be adopted with a qualified majority.”

The commission is expected to be composed of 51 members and the ruling Justice and Development Party (AKP) will have 21 seats while its closest ally, the Nationalist Movement Party (MHP), will get four seats. The two parties will have the simple majority of the commission while the CHP will be granted 10 seats.

“In order for us to be in this commission, the parliament speaker should declare that the decisions will be taken with a qualified majority,” the CHP leader said, underlining that the main opposition will then be a part of the panel.

The CHP’s sole objective in participating in this commission is to contribute to the efforts to get rid of the terrorism problem, Özel said, referring to the ongoing "terror-free Türkiye" project.

A group from PKK has symbolically laid down arms in northern Iraq following the terrorist organization’s decision to disband and dissolve itself in line with a call by its jailed leader Abdullah Öcalan.

On a question, the commission set for "terror-free Türkiye" project is not going to have the mandate to rewrite the constitution, Özel said, reiterating that the CHP will not be engaged with those who don’t implement the existing charter.

He also underlined the need for boosting democratic reforms to both permanently address terrorism problem and other political and social issues of Türkiye.