Turkish Prime Minister: Constitutional Changes Will Be Made

Binali Yildirim, the Prime Minister of Turkey, stated that "leaders of various parties" in parliament have met with the President and agreed on "making some minor changes to the constitution." According to the official Anadolu Agency, Mr. Yildirim said on Monday, July 25, following the third meeting of the cabinet members after the failed coup, that the parties have agreed that "some necessary changes to the constitution are needed to break the deadlocks existing in the system." The Prime Minister mentioned that the ruling party and opposition parties will "cooperate" in this regard. He also added that "we decided to continue working to finalize the drafting of a new law." Prior to the Prime Minister's appearance before reporters, leaders of the "Republican People's Party," the main opposition party, and the "Nationalist Movement" party, allied with Binali Yildirim, met with Recep Tayyip Erdogan. Reports did not mention the presence of leaders from the "Peoples' Democratic Party," Selahattin Demirtaş or Figen Yüksekdağ. The agreement between the opposition and ruling parties in Turkey to make constitutional changes comes at a time when the West has expressed concerns about the human rights situation and reactions to the failed coup. Not only Ankara's Western allies but also international human rights organizations have criticized the situation that has developed over the past ten days. Hours before the recent meeting, arrest warrants were issued for 42 journalists. International news agencies report that since the failed coup, 20 websites have been blocked, including at least six news websites and two others belonging to television networks. Simultaneously, reports indicate ongoing efforts to reinstate the death penalty in Turkish laws. The suspension of the death penalty is one of the fundamental principles and demands of the European Union for starting the membership process, a process that Ankara has been trying to finalize for years. Jean-Claude Juncker, President of the European Commission, stated that if the death penalty is reinstated, Turkey's membership process in the European Union will automatically be halted. The Turkish government has rejected criticisms of the current situation in the country, emphasizing that the recent reactions, including widespread arrests, travel bans on university professors, blocking news channels, dismissals, or expulsions, are carried out to preserve and strengthen democracy in the country.