Turkish PM reveals timeframe for new draft constitution

DUZCE, Turkey

A new draft constitution will be submitted to the parliament within a couple of months, Turkish Prime Minister Ahmet Davutoglu has said.

In remarks made during an inauguration ceremony of over 80 projects in northwestern Duzce province Friday, Davutoglu said: "Turkey will have a civilian, liberal, and democratic constitution."

He said the new constitution would meet the public’s needs and solve existing problems of the nation.

Davutoglu added that it would ensure "a strong Turkey in its centenary."

Earlier this year, a "Constitution Conciliation Committee" of 12 deputies -- three from each of Turkey’s four parliamentary parties -- met in a bid to redraw the current constitution, which dates back in parts to Turkey’s military regime of the 1980s.

However, after two weeks of work on planning the new constitution, the committee broke up when opposition party members walked out amid disagreement over the presidential system, which was proposed by the ruling Justice and Development (AK) Party.

Later, a committee was established within the AK Party, which has repeatedly made the constitutional reform a central part of its government programs. The AK Party also called on all other parties to contribute to the process of writing a “democratic, participatory and pluralistic” constitution. If the parliament fails to pass the draft with a super-majority of 367 out of 550 votes, a referendum could be used as an option, according to rules.