Constitution to change for Zana

April 26, 2004 admin-dominor

He said the jailed deputies may even be freed without the CHP proposal, noting, "A small constitutional change will ensure their release."

When asked if he meant the article in the Constitution that allowed the creation of State Security Court (DGM), Gul said, "Yes. If the Constitution is changed, they will be freed very soon after."

Gul said the matter of Leyla Zana damaged Turkey’s international standing. "Parliament allowed the release of murderers. There is no justification for their (Zana and friend) continued incarseration."

"Zana was named as a candidate for the Nobel Peace Prize," noted Gul, asking what people would do, if the prize that no Turk had won yet, was presented to Zana. "That possibility should also be considered," said Gul.

Gul assumes that Zana and the three other DEP deputies in prison would be released after the Constitution is amended, because they were found guilty by the DGM. The proposal is yet to be finalized and be submitted to Parliament. A draft version, prepared by the government, is currently being assessed by the Justice and Development Party (AK Party) institutions. Some AK Party deputies want DGMs to be re-opened under certain conditions, instead of total abolition.

The Constitution currently states that, "DGMs are founded." The government intends to remove this sentence in its entirety, while discussions in AK Party central institutions center on the replacement of the sentence with "DGMs may be founded."

If the government is able to persuade all its deputies, a constitutional amendment package, including the article on the DGM, will be submitted to Parliament in May and be passed before the end of the month.

A majority in Parliament (367 deputies) have to approve the bill, in order for it to pass. While the AK Party has 367 seats in Parliament, it needs to ensure all its deputies cooperation, because the voting will take place through a secret ballot. If not, it needs the cooperation of the opposition parties.

The Republican People’s Party (CHP) has repeatedly said that it would block all attempts to change the Constitution, before the parliamentary immunity issue is addressed.