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Recep Tayyip Erdoğan

ANF, ANKARA ─ Turkish PM Recep Tayyip Erdoğan has begun speaking about the “democratization package”. Erdoğan says the package is the result of 11 years work on the part of the ruling AK party. He added the package will not be the solutions of all problems, but an important further step on the building of democracy.

“The package we will announce soon – said Erdoğan – is only a phase of a long period of 11 years. It is neither the first, nor the last democratization package. It will not come up with a solution to all problems in the country but it will be serving as a very significant step taken in this respect. It cannot be a reasonable expectation to demand a package that will remove all restrictions and pave the way for all freedoms. This package will strengthen the internal peace, as well as national unity and brotherhood, and expand the areas of freedom”.

Erdoğan added “This package includes a wide range of important legal and administrative arrangements. It has been prepared to ensure that our country reaches its goal on its journey to advanced democracy”.

And further added: “Turkey is irreversibly making headway on way to democracy. We will continue working for the achievement of further freedoms and rights”.

“We are making an effort to realize democratization together with our people. – said Erdoğan – This package is the manifestation of the point Turkey has reached today. For the last 11 years since we came to the power, we have replaced the oppressive and peremptory politics mindset with a new one which gives priority to the public before the state itself. People in Turkey are no more being subjected to assimilation, restrictions, bans and problems because of their world views”.

Erdoğan insisted: “There is an “opposition problem” in Turkey. The opposition is supposed to conform to the nation and to act in line with the vision of a growing Turkey. We don’t expect the opposition to appreciate this package and those who expect an elixir of eternity to humanity are in an exaggerated expectation. This package is serving to draw a course and is a step introducing rights and freedoms which someone could not even imagine 11 years ago”.

And added: “This package is not a consequence of an imposition nor a negotiaton. We are doing this to answer the needs of our people. It is not possible to write a new constitution without presenting such a democratization package”.

Erdoğan said: “We respect and defend all freedoms and rights unless they intervene in each other. We will be standing all together and attaching importance to the ideas of each other. This is what we need to do in order to come up with a solution to all problems”. And added “The reforms in the package require some legal and administrative arrangements.We will enact some laws to come up with a solution to the political problems in the country. We are opening the present electoral system in Turkey to discussion, for it has been a matter of debate and all political parties have demanded a change in it up until today. The ten percent election threshold is not something AKP introduced”.

Erdoğan said: “There are three alternatives: to continue with the present system with ten percent election threshold; to reduce the threshold to five percent while implementing single-member district constituency system in groups of five; to remove the threshold altogether and to initiate the single member district system. Current 7% state aid threshold to political parties will be reduced to 3%. We will provide convenience for the organization of political parties and pave the way for co-chair system. We are also enabling political propaganda in languages and dialects other than Turkish. The ban on the use of languages, dialects other than Turkish for election campaigns and the related sanction will be lifted”.

Erdoğan further said: “Deterrent sanctions against hate crimes and disrespect to lifestyles will be practiced and punishment for hate crimes will be harder. The prevention of the practice of religious ceremonies will be subjected to punishment in the scope of the Turkish criminal law”.

As for the use of other languages in education, Erdoğan said: “With an amendment, the expression “and they shall not use languages and writings other than Turkish”, in the third paragraph of Article 43 of Law No. 2820 will be excluded from the text. Education in languages and dialects other than Turkish will be provided at private schools. Arrangement in the Turkish Penal Code, which stipulates punishment for the use of different letters other than those in the Turkish alphabet, dated 1928 will also be abolished”.

Erdoğan offered examples of name change: “Initiation of legal arrangements for the replacement of villages’ names with former ones used before 90’s. The Nevşehir University to be named after Hacı Bektaş Veli”.

And said “meetings and demonstrations in open areas are to last until sunset while meetings in closed spaces to last until 12.00 p.m. at night.”.

Erdoğan said also that “The reforms that require administrative arrangements are: -removal of the ban on headscarf in public sphere as part of a change in the dress code
-removal of the andımız (turkish national oath) obligation at primary schools; -return of the Mor Gabriel (Deyrulumur) Monastery to Mor Gabriel Monastery Foundation -establishment of an institute of Roma language and culture”.

Firat News Agency