Forum Views ()
Forum Replies ()
Read more with google mobile :
Factbox: Turkey's constitutional reform
Yahoo!
My Yahoo!
Mail
More Yahoo! Services
Account Options
New User? Sign Up
Sign In
Help
Yahoo! Search
web search
Home
Singapore
Asia Pacific
World
Business
Entertainment
Sports
Technology
Africa
Europe
Latin America
Middle East
North America
Factbox: Turkey's constitutional reform
Reuters - Monday, May 3
Send
IM Story
Print
- The Turkish parliament is set to begin its second round of voting on constitutional reforms that will make it harder to ban political parties, make the army accountable to civilian courts and overhaul the judiciary.
Here are some of the main reforms and key background:
CLOSURE OF POLITICAL PARTIES
* The reform would make it harder to ban political parties. The EU has criticised Turkey's political parties law, under which almost 20 parties have been banned since the constitution was adopted in 1982 following a coup. The ruling AK Party itself narrowly survived a court attempt to close it down on the grounds that it contravened the country's secular constitution.
* Under current law, the chief prosecutor can file a case to the Constitutional Court to have a party closed, fined or its members banned from politics. Critics say the law has been used by conservative secularists in the judiciary to overwrite popular support for political parties they deem a threat to the status quo.
* Under the proposed reform, a closure case could only be launched if it is approved first by a parliamentary commission made up of five members from each political party that has a group in parliament . The speaker of parliament would chair the commission, which would need to pass the motion by a two-thirds majority.
JUDGES AND PROSECUTORS
* Among the most contentious issues is reform of the Supreme Board of Judges and Prosecutors , which appoints senior members of courts. The EU has called for reform of the HSYK to ensure its independence, but critics say the AK Party wants to take over the judiciary to push its own agenda.
* The HSYK comprises of five judges, plus the justice minister and his undersecretary. The government wants to expand it to 21 members, who would be chosen by the president, the Constitutional Court, Supreme Court of Appeals, another superior court called the State Council, and the Turkish Justice Academy.
* The HSYK has frequently clashed with the government.
THE MILITARY
* In a reform that would further curtail the powers of the once-untouchable military, self-appointed guardians of the country's secularism, the government wants to limit the power of military courts by allowing military personnel to be put on trial in civilian courts for crimes committed against the security of the state and the constitutional order.
* Any case brought against the armed forces chief and commanders of the army, navy and air force, and the paramilitary general heading the gendarmerie that is related to their duties would be heard in the Supreme Court.
* Dozens of officers, including retired and serving generals, have been charged in civilian courts in recent weeks in connection with alleged plots to unseat the AK government.
* In January, the Constitutional Court overturned an AK Party-backed law allowing military personnel to be put on trial in civilian courts. The armed forces had warned that the law could open the door to politically motivated trials. The military has ousted four governments in the last 50 years.
* In a separate change to the constitution, the government also wants to end immunity from prosecution for leaders of the 1980 military coup, who engineered the current charter. That coup was led by retired general Kenan Evren, who is now in his 90s and has spent much of his retirement painting portraits and landscapes on the Mediterranean.
CONSTITUTIONAL COURT
* The government also wants to overhaul the Constitutional Court, charged with upholding Turkey's secular constitution, by allowing the president and parliament to pick all their members.
* There are currently 11 sitting members and four substitutes. The president now chooses three members directly, appointing the rest from candidates nominated by civilian and military high courts and the Higher Education Board. Under proposed changes, the bench would be increased to 17, with parliament choosing three members and the president choosing 14.
* Critics say changes would give the president, elected by a popular vote, leeway to dictate the court's direction.
Recommend
Send
IM Story
Print
Related Articles
Gunfire erupts during Darfur 'Ponzi' protest AFP - 2 hours 41 minutes ago
Israeli, Palestinian talks 'within days' AFP - 29 minutes ago
Car bombing foiled in New York's Times Square AFP - 47 minutes ago
UK-World Summary Reuters - 50 minutes ago
Obama to visit scene of US oil spill AFP - 51 minutes ago
News Search
Top Stories
Higgins's snooker future in question over match-fixing claims
Obama to visit scene of US oil spill
Spain reverses rise in unemployment: report
Greece agrees painful cuts in return for bailout
Shroud of Turin 'mirrors' human suffering: pope
More Top Stories »
ADVERTISEMENT
Most Popular
Most Viewed
Most Recommended
Obama jokes about his ratings and nationality
Greece agrees painful cuts in return for bailout
Hundreds gather for US May Day immigration protests
Shroud of Turin 'mirrors' human suffering: pope
New York police foil Times Square car bombing
More Most Viewed »
Aliens may exist but contact would hurt: Hawking
Apple engineer loses iPhone prototype
French driving veil row escalates
Airlines want compensation as Europe's skies reopen
More Most Recommended »
Elsewhere on Yahoo!
Financial news on Yahoo! Finance
Stars and latest movies
Best travel destinations
More on Yahoo! News
Home
Singapore
Asia Pacific
World
Business
Entertainment
Sports
Technology
Subscribe to our news feeds
Top StoriesMy Yahoo!RSS
» More news feeds | What are news feeds?
Also on Yahoo
Answers
Groups
Mail
Messenger
Mobile
Travel
Finance
Movies
Sports
Games
» All Yahoo! Services
Site Highlights
Singapore
Full Coverage
Most Popular
Asia Entertainment
Photos
World Cup 2010
Copyright © 2010 Yahoo! Southeast Asia Pte. Ltd. (Co. Reg. No. 199700735D). All Rights Reserved.
Terms of Service |
Privacy Policy |
Community |
Intellectual Property Rights Policy |
Help
Other News on Sunday, 2 May 2010 Arab League gives backing to indirect Mideast talks
EU sugar companies big winners from CAP subsidies
Bolivia nationalizes electricity companies
Governments, businesses to discuss cybersecurity threats
Fresh poll blow to British PM as papers turn against him
Hundreds gather for US May Day immigration protests
Soldiers kidnapped in south Yemen, U.S. embassy warns staff
|
South Africa's Zuma promises laws curbing casual labor
|
Papal envoy to run scandal-plagued priestly order
|
Syria warns U.S. on accepting Israel scud claims
|
Nepal Maoist leader calls strike at anti-govt protest
US Army captain becomes king in Afghanistan
Chinese city goes on defense after school attack
May Day protestors rally across Asia
Suicide bomber in Pakistan's Swat kills 5
Taiwan China flight diverted after explosive claim
Maoists rally in Nepal, announce general strike
Arab League backs resumption of Middle East talks
Eurozone set to endorse Greek bailout plan Sunday
Thai PM talks tough, red shirts refuse to give in
|
Privacy vs profit at Facebook
Arab League backs resumption of Middle East talks
|
Deadly blast overshadows Russia's May Day events
Weather hampers oil spill efforts in Gulf of Mexico
Spain April unemployment fall leaked to press
|
Obama jokes about his ratings and nationality
Colombian rebels kill five soldiers in coca field
|
Greek crisis to dominate ECB Lisbon meeting: analysts
US oil production, shipping unaffected by spill so far
Japan PM to meet mayors of proposed site for US base
NY car bomb threatened 'very deadly event': officials
S.Korea minister vows retaliation over sunk warship
Maoist strike shuts down Nepal; gov't urges talks
NY's Times Square evacuated in car bomb scare
Australian racer McFarlane dies in crash
Mass. water main break affects Boston, suburbs
NY's Times Square evacuated in bomb scare
Thai premier says no plans for martial law
Ark. tornadoes kill woman, gov declares emergency
Poor man's Gatorade saves Bangladeshi kids
Anger over Ariz. immigration law drives US rallies
Myanmar's junta prepares ground for elections
Ancient treasures set for auction in Indonesia
China steps up security at schools after attacks
Obama to visit U.S. Gulf as oil slick threatens
Shanghai Expo giant opportunity for big business
U.S. Hispanics decry Arizona law at May Day rallies
India weighs capital controls with rupee on rise
Spielberg, Scorsese call for release of Iran film-maker
China's cinemas set for record box office in 2010
Heavy metal dinosaurs rock the kiddie crowd in Finland
US-ENTERTAINMENT Summary
Tourists in Copenhagen lament loss of Little Mermaid
Spielberg, Scorsese call for release of Iran film-maker
Shroud of Turin 'mirrors' human suffering: pope
Factbox: Turkey's constitutional reform
Palestinian leader says to meet Obama in Washington
Magnitude 5.8 quake hits Chile, no damage reported
|
Greece agrees painful cuts in return for bailout
Police open fire in Darfur investment protest -witnesses
Police open fire in Darfur investment protest: witnesses
|
Baghdad cafe waitresses break down barriers
New York police foil Times Square car bombing
Iran says develops short-range missile defense
|
One dead, 80 hurt in Iraq bus bombing
Greece secures unprecedented bailout: PM
Threatening Note Found On Philadelphia-Bound Plane
UK election gets personal
|
Police Kill Charging Bull On Texas Interstate
Pakistani jets target Taliban positions, kill 19
|
Illinois Congressman Arrested During Arizona Immigration Law Protest
Storms kill 15 Bangladeshis, thousands homeless
|
Authorities Start Man-Hunt In Attempted New York City Carbombing
NY City Dodges A Bullet After Car Bomb Found In New York's Times Square
Palestinian leader says to meet Obama in Washington
|
Somali insurgents seize pirate haven
|
U.N. says investigating LRA massacre of 100 in Congo
|
Bangladesh sentences 9 border guards for mutiny
Thai cabinet holds emergency meeting on crisis
Iran to propose reforms at US nuclear talks
Thai premier says no plans for martial law
Israeli, Palestinian talks 'within days'
Car bombing foiled in New York's Times Square
Afghan civilian deaths are rising, government says
5 killed in heavy flooding across Tennessee
Maoist strike shuts down Nepal; gov't urges talks
Car bomb scares Times Square, but fails to explode
Obama to visit scene of US oil spill
New Delhi on alert as embassies warn of attack
Small fire spreads smoke at US Embassy in Pakistan
Officials: At least 5 dead in Tenn. flooding
Thai PM talks tough, "red shirts" refuse to give in
China raises bank reserve ratio to rein in lending
US-Taiwanese man held after bomb hoax on plane
Shroud of Turin 'mirrors' human suffering: pope
'Demjanjuk: a Holocaust cabaret' hits German stage
Greece at new risk of being pushed off euro
Bodies of missing Tenn. mom, Jo Ann Bain, and daughter found
Female Breasts Are Bigger Than Ever
AMD Trinity Accelerated Processing Units Now in Volume Production
The Avengers (2012 film), made the second biggest opening- and single-day gross of all-time
AMD to Start Production of piledriver
Ivy Bridge Quad-Core, Four-Thread Desktop CPUs
Islamists Protest Lady Gaga's Concert in Indonesia
Japan Successfully Broadcasts an 8K Signal Over the Air
ECB boosts loans to 1 trillion Euro to stop credit crunch
Egypt : Mohammed Morsi won with 52 percent
What do you call 100,000 Frenchmen with their hands up
AMD Launches AMD Embedded R-Series APU Platform
Fed Should not Ignore Emerging Market Crisis
Fed casts shadow over India, emerging markets
Why are Chinese tourists so rude? A few insights