Ankara, March 24: Turkish Premier Recep Tayyip Erdogan warns Ankara’s judiciary to stop questioning the government’s bid to amend the constitution,
“They should give up interfering in executive and legislative powers,” Erdogan told parliament on Tuesday, cautioning the capital’s judges who object to the constitutional reform package proposed by the ruling Justice and Development Party (AKP), Reuters reported.
Upon taking effect, the changes would give the president more say in the appointments to Ankara’s Constitutional Court and would enable the civil tribunals to take over from military courts in prosecuting military servicemen.
The AKP, which enjoys a large parliamentary majority, says the package is needed to limit the power of judges and prosecutors in order to pave the way for Turkey’s membership in the European Union.
The government has begun talks with opposition parties to rally support for the reforms and says it might hold a plebiscite on the package, should it fail to earn the required two-thirds parliamentary approval.
Judicial officials have, however, branded the bid as “unconstitutional” and complained about it to Turkey’s chief of the Supreme Court of Appeals.
The opposition has also claimed that the package is driven by AKP’s quest for more power.
——–Agencies