Recently, officials have argued that Türkiye’s coup-era Constitution has become outdated and have called for a new, civilian charter, while experts stressed the need for a constitution that fully addresses the needs of the Turkish people, safeguards their rights and freedom, and ensures that state institutions serve the public.

“Debates over a new or civilian constitution continue to remain on the agenda in Türkiye, though the work is progressing slowly due to its complex nature. There is no doubt that the process will be challenging. If completed and a new constitution is drafted and adopted, it would mark a first for the country. All previous constitutions of the Republic of Türkiye were prepared during extraordinary periods, and some, including the one currently in force, were drafted following military coups,” Yasin Şamlı, a lawyer and the president of the Istanbul No. 2 Bar Association, told Daily Sabah.

The government has been pushing to overhaul the Constitution for over a decade now, which was adopted in 1982 following a military coup that led to the detention of hundreds of thousands of people along with mass trials, torture and executions, which still represents a dark period in Turkish political history.

“Constitutions drafted during extraordinary periods or under military rule are widely regarded as lacking legitimacy,” Şamlı said, emphasizing that democratic systems require that state authority be exercised on behalf of the people and rooted in popular will.

He asserted that coup-era constitutions are illegitimate in several respects: first, because the initiative to draft a new charter does not stem from the electorate but from those who seize power; second, because such texts are prepared without broad consultation across all segments of society; and third, because referendums held under conditions of political pressure make it unclear whether voters are endorsing the constitution itself or simply seeking an end to military rule. Fourth, these constitutions lack legitimacy in substance, as their content is not grounded in the will of the people.

Over the years, Erdoğan and Justice and Development Party (AK Party) officials have repeatedly called for a new civilian constitution to replace it, describing the current one as “outdated.”

The AK Party has long campaigned for a new constitution, including a declaration announced during its 2023 election campaign. The “New Constitution for the New Century of Türkiye” declaration, which refers to the second century of the Republic of Türkiye, underlined the need for a new constitution. “Establishing a constitutional order based on human dignity for the prevalence of developments in the field of rights and freedoms is necessary,” the 2023 declaration said.

The declaration also said the constitution would preserve democratic gains acquired during the AK Party’s governance and would ensure a high-standard democracy, guarantees for freedoms and the supremacy of law.

Arguing that both the 1961 and 1982 Constitutions lack legitimacy, Şanlı emphasized, “Türkiye has effectively been governed for at least 66 years under constitutions not grounded in popular will.”

“It does not befit our nation for a coup-era constitution, one that suppresses the will of the people and restricts the rights and freedoms it is meant to protect, to remain in force,” he added.

Earlier this week, Deputy Parliament Speaker and former Justice Minister Bekir Bozdağ said that although Parliament made radical changes and reforms to the 1982 Constitution, this did not remove the existence of the Constitution, and on the contrary, those changes only fueled the need for a wholly new constitution. He underlined that developments in Türkiye and the world, and political shifts, took this need to the next level. “History forces us to draft a new constitution,” he stressed.

According to Şamlı, the political will driving the drafting of a new constitution in Türkiye would be decisive, but public ownership of the process would be even more critical. Citizens should demand a constitution that guarantees their rights and freedoms and ensures state institutions serve the public, while actively monitoring their legislative passage.

He continued, “If such a collective will is demonstrated, it would mark the first time in the country’s history that a constitution is shaped by the people through their elected representatives rather than by military intervention, giving the process historic importance.”

The 11-member AK Party Constitutional Commission, chaired by Vice President Cevdet Yılmaz, has held around 20 meetings so far as part of efforts to lay the groundwork for a new civilian constitution. The commission last convened on Dec. 29.

The commission plans to engage in broad consultations with lawmakers, academics, civil society representatives and other segments of society. Existing constitutional studies, accumulated experience and previously expressed ideas will be taken into account, and contributions from experts in various fields may be sought when needed.

Moreover, Ferhat Küçük, a lawyer and a Ph.D. holder in constitutional law, emphasized that with the exception of the 1921 Constitution, previous constitution provisions significantly curtailed individual fundamental rights and freedoms, as those were heavily shaped by the ruling regimes of their time.

“Including the system of government, the model of judicial independence, the framework for limiting fundamental rights, the relationship between local administrations and the central government, and the definition of citizenship and identity became particularly problematic due to the legacy of military rule,” he asserted.

In this regard, Küçük said, drafting a civilian constitution would inevitably open the way for far-reaching reforms in these five areas.

Most recently, the AK Party’s deputy chair in charge of political and legal affairs and the party’s Constitutional Commission member, Hayati Yazıcı, stated that the commission is evaluating what provisions should be included in a new constitution, which current articles may no longer be necessary, and how fundamental rights and freedoms should be framed. Once the work is completed, the commission will submit an executive summary to Erdoğan, who also serves as AK Party’s chairperson, before moving to a broader consultation phase.

He remarked that drafting a constitution is the right of the nation. “The constitution is made by the people, but up to now the people have never been able to exercise this right,” he said, referring to the 1961 and 1982 Constitutions.

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President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan on Monday will convene his Cabinet, the first meeting of ministers in Ramadan and the first such meeting for the two newly appointed ministers of justice and interior.

The meeting will focus on several critical items on the Turkish state’s agenda, mainly the terror-free Türkiye initiative and regional developments.

A report prepared by the National Solidarity, Brotherhood and Democracy Committee of Parliament, set up for the terror-free Türkiye initiative, will be discussed at the meeting, Turkish media outlets reported on Sunday. The framework of steps planned in the coming days, in line with the report adopted by Parliament, will be evaluated. The meeting will focus in particular on proposed reforms and anticipated amendments to the Turkish Penal Code and counterterrorism laws to move forward the initiative.

The Cabinet will also devote significant time to regional developments and rising tensions in the Middle East stemming from the Iran-U.S. dispute. At a time when the possibility of U.S. intervention against Iran remains on the agenda, the repercussions of Türkiye’s ongoing diplomatic contacts with both Iran and the United States will be assessed.

The humanitarian crisis in Gaza, which remains under Israeli attacks, is among the Cabinet’s top priorities. Delivering humanitarian aid to the region during the Muslim holy month of Ramadan will be discussed. Türkiye’s diplomatic initiatives, cease-fire efforts and the latest status of humanitarian assistance will also be reviewed.

On the economy, the Cabinet will assess progress in the fight against inflation. Inspections aimed at curbing excessive price increases during Ramadan will be evaluated, along with steps taken and oversight mechanisms implemented to ensure price stability. Meanwhile, millions of retirees are awaiting approval of a TL 4,000 ($91.26) Ramadan bonus. Whether the bonus will be increased is also among the issues to be discussed by the Cabinet.

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The U.S. envoy in Israel, Mike Huckabee, was the target of criticism by Türkiye’s ruling Justice and Development Party (AK Party). The party’s vice chair and spokesperson Ömer Çelik said Huckabee’s remarks in support of the Netanyahu administration’s killing of children in Gaza were “horrible and inhumane.”

Fourteen countries and three regional organizations on Sunday condemned remarks by Mike Huckabee, who said “it would be acceptable for Israel to exercise control over territories belonging to Arab states, including the occupied West Bank.”

In a joint statement, the Foreign Ministries of Türkiye, Egypt, Jordan, Lebanon, Indonesia, Kuwait, Palestine, Qatar, Oman, Pakistan, Bahrain, Saudi Arabia, Syria and the United Arab Emirates (UAE) expressed “strong condemnation and profound concern” over the comments.

The statement was also issued with the participation of the secretariats of the Organization of Islamic Cooperation (OIC), the League of Arab States, and the Gulf Cooperation Council.

The ministries described the U.S. envoy’s remarks as “dangerous and inflammatory,” saying they constitute “a flagrant violation of the principles of international law and the Charter of the United Nations” and pose a grave threat to regional security and stability.

They said the comments directly contradict the vision put forward by U.S. President Donald Trump and the Comprehensive Plan to End the Gaza Conflict, which is based on containing escalation and creating a political horizon for a comprehensive settlement that ensures the Palestinian people have their own independent state.

The signatories said “the plan is grounded in promoting tolerance and peaceful coexistence,” warning that attempts “to legitimize control over the lands of others undermine these objectives, fuel tensions,” and amount to incitement rather than advancing peace.

The ministries “reaffirmed that Israel has no sovereignty over the Occupied Palestinian Territory or any other occupied Arab lands,” the statement noted. “They reiterated their firm rejection of any attempts to annex the West Bank or separate it from the Gaza Strip, their strong opposition to the expansion of settlement activities in the Occupied Palestinian Territory, and their categorical rejection of any threat to the sovereignty of Arab states.”

The statement warned that “the continuation of Israel’s expansionist policies and unlawful measures will only inflame violence and conflict in the region and undermine prospects for peace.”

The signatories called for an end to what they termed “incendiary statements” and reiterated their “commitment to the inalienable right of the Palestinian people to self-determination and to the establishment of an independent state” along the June 4, 1967 lines, as well as to ending the occupation of all Arab lands.

Huckabee, named U.S. ambassador to Israel in April 2025, is an evangelical Christian who has previously spoken of expansionist claims based on what he described as a “divine right” for Israel in the West Bank.

He argued that Israel has a “biblical right” to the land stretching from the Nile to the Euphrates rivers, saying on a podcast released Friday: “It would be fine if they (Israel) took it all.”

Huckabee made the remarks in an interview with U.S. journalist Tucker Carlson, during which he defended Israel’s actions in the Gaza Strip and voiced support for the idea of “divine providence” giving control of the region to Israel.

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu told news channel i24 last August that he feels “very attached” to the vision of a Greater Israel. He said he considers himself “on a historic and spiritual mission,” including “generations of Jews that dreamt of coming here and generations of Jews who will come after us.”

Greater Israel is a term used in Israeli politics to refer to the expansion of Israel’s territory to include the West Bank, Gaza, and Syria’s Golan Heights, with some interpretations also including Egypt’s Sinai Peninsula and parts of Jordan.

In his social media post released on Monday, Çelik said Israel had no right or sovereignty on Palestinian and Arab lands it occupied, and any threat by Israel to “our brotherly Arab states” was “illegitimate.” Çelik reiterated his earlier remarks on Israel’s attempts to annex the West Bank, which he defined as “a spatial genocide.”

In the same interview with Carlson, Huckabee has defended the use of lethal force by Israel against Palestinian children. Çelik described these statements as “horrible.” He argued that the ambassador’s remarks ran against most basic principles of law and humanitarian values, as the latter defended the “Greater Israel project” and “theft of land from Arab states.” “Replacing theological, fanatical claims with international law may have dire consequences in the region. We reject Israel’s threatening approach based on claims of sovereignty across the region,” he said.

Çelik reiterated that AK Party chairperson, President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan, repeatedly questioned Israel’s moves at U.N. General Assemblies, recalling how Erdoğan warned the world against Israel’s aggressive and expansionist mindset. “Every development demonstrates that Mr. President was right in his warnings,” he said.

Çelik also stated it was itself murder and genocide to defend the killing of children. He pointed out that Israel’s policy of genocide also included the occupation of Palestinian homes in Gaza and the West Bank, and these constituted an attack on humanitarian values. “Fighting against this mindset is a fight for humanity. Resisting these barbaric acts should be the first and foremost action in the name of humanity,” he said. He pledged that they would continue their struggle to defend the establishment of a sovereign State of Palestine based on the 1967 borders and with East Jerusalem as its capital, and against enemies of humanity who committed genocide in the Palestinian territories.

“Fighting this gang of genocide is a fight to defend humanity and civilization. Our president, Türkiye are at the forefront of the alliance of humanity against this gang; they are on the right side of history,” Çelik also said.

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Türkiye has made progress in the disarmament of the terrorist group PKK after a parliamentary committee agreed upon the guidelines for Parliament in the terror-free Türkiye initiative earlier this week.

Prior to a debate on the report at Parliament and expected legislative steps, authorities have taken meticulous steps for a smooth process for the initiative, which was first suggested by government ally Nationalist Movement Party (MHP) in 2024. A report by the Sabah newspaper says that the government is working on a new framework for counterterrorism and disarmament of the PKK, which symbolically began last summer in northern Iraq.

To this extent, the government is preparing to set up a monitoring and verification mechanism for proper confirmation of the disarmament of the terrorist group. The newspaper report says this new mechanism will issue a separate report confirming the full dissolution of the PKK, and that Parliament would not take any legislative step before the confirmation.

Government officials say the initiative builds on years of counterterrorism operations that significantly weakened the PKK’s operational capacity inside Türkiye and across its borders.

Parliamentary work has also focused on legal and institutional preparations for the post-disbandment phase, including frameworks for disarmament monitoring, preventing recruitment and ensuring that any transition process does not undermine public security.

Authorities describe the approach as balancing reconciliation opportunities with strict legal accountability, aiming to prevent the re-emergence of terrorist structures while supporting long-term social stability.

The Sabah report says legislative regulations would not be implemented as long as the PKK held weapons and points out the current “effective remorse” laws in the Turkish Penal Code that offer lenient sentences and, in some cases, no prison term at all, for members of terrorist groups handing over their weapons and collaborating with authorities.

The latest reports show that the PKK has evacuated seven caves it used as shelter in a stretch of land spanning from Turkish territories to the Qandil mountains in Iraq, and the group is believed to control at least 23 other caves it used as hideouts.

Sources speaking to the Sabah newspaper said that although the PKK announced it would dissolve itself last year, in the wake of its jailed ringleader Abdullah Öcalan’s call in February 2025, the dissolution was still not fully realized, and on the contrary, some 2,500 more PKK members had traveled to Qandil, where the senior leadership of the terrorist group lives. Sources say the evacuation of PKK hideouts was suspended in some places due to developments in Syria. The PKK’s Syrian wing, YPG, which has long resisted implementing a deal it signed with Damascus, finally relented last month to integration with the post-Assad Syrian administration, after clashes with Syrian security forces over the past few months. Sources say images of PKK members burning weapons at a ceremony in Iraq’s Sulaimaniyah last year were not followed up and the new mechanism would check whether the PKK has failed to get rid of all the weapons it has.

The National Intelligence Organization (MIT) will be the final authority in the confirmation of disarmament, thanks to technical reports by its operatives on the field. No further steps will be taken toward the process without MIT’s approval that the group is fully disarmed. Sources say a framework law for the terror-free Türkiye initiative will be discussed after these processes. The framework law will define the monitoring and confirmation mechanism, as well as regulations regarding PKK members not involved in any crimes. It will also define the conditions under which they can be eligible for leniency. After the implementation of the framework law, authorities plan amendments in Turkish Penal Code and counterterrorism laws. The amendments and framework law may involve the return of PKK members to Türkiye from Iraq, where most members of the group live. It will also facilitate the return of PKK-affiliated people from Mahmour and Sinjar, two key camps in Iraq controlled by the PKK. Those returning to Türkiye and confirmed not to have involved in acts of terrorism will be subject to a five-year judiciary control system. The framework law will have temporary validity, most likely for two years, to accelerate the return of PKK members to Türkiye.

Officials have already presented a report on preparations for the terror-free Türkiye plan to President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan, the Sabah report said. Erdoğan reportedly instructed subordinates to emphasize to the public that the amendments would not mean a general amnesty for PKK members.

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A general was appointed on Saturday as Syria’s presidential envoy to oversee the implementation of the Jan. 29 deal with the U.S.-backed YPG terrorist group, according to state media.

The Syrian Arab News Agency (SANA), citing the Presidency’s media directorate, said Brig. Gen. Ziad al-Ayesh has been assigned to follow up on the accord and facilitate integration under the authority of the Syrian state.

The Presidency said the appointment is intended to enhance the presence of state institutions, remove administrative obstacles, and activate public services in areas covered by the agreement.

Al-Ayesh hails from the village of Arjah al-Jawalah in the countryside of Hassakeh province in northeastern Syria, according to Syrian media outlets. He holds a degree in Sharia from Al-Ouzai University in Lebanon and a master’s degree in business administration from Idlib University in northwestern Syria.

Prior to the fall of the Assad regime on Dec. 8, 2024, al-Ayesh headed civil affairs at the Interior Ministry of the Salvation Government in Idlib.

On Jan. 30, the Syrian government announced that it had reached a “comprehensive agreement” with the YPG aimed at ending division in the country and launching a new phase of integration. It said the deal covering the cities of Hassakeh and Qamishli and the integration of military forces complements a previous agreement signed on Jan. 18.

The latest agreement followed a military operation by the Syrian Army in which it regained large areas in eastern and northeastern Syria after repeated YPG violations of a March 2025 accord.

Syrian authorities have taken over management of Qamishli airport as part of an ongoing process to integrate YPG and institutions into the national government, state media reported Saturday.

The SANA news agency, citing the General Authority of Civil Aviation and Air Transport, said officials had toured the facility on Saturday after assuming control and “discussed mechanisms to restart its operations.”

The head of the authority, Omar al-Husari, said on X that taking over the airport was “an important institutional step in the process of unifying the management of airports under the umbrella of the state.”

YPG had taken over the airport following the fall of longtime dictator Bashar Assad just over a year ago.

While it was not open to civilian flights, Russia had used part of the facility as a base before withdrawing last month.

Qamishli is the only airport in northeastern Syria, and for years served as a lifeline for the region’s residents, particularly during nearly 14 years of civil war beginning in 2011, during which there were regular flights between it and Damascus.

The airport had remained under the government’s control during the war, and continued to receive flights up until Assad’s overthrow.

In November 2019, Russian forces turned the airport into a military base to oversee the implementation of an agreement that followed Türkiye’s large-scale cross-border operations in Syria to drive out the YPG from areas it occupied near the Turkish border.

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Speaker of Parliament Numan Kurtulmuş said Türkiye has crossed a “critical threshold” in its effort to achieve a “terror-free Türkiye,” while stressing that further legal reforms, monitoring and political consensus will be needed to complete the process.

Speaking to editors-in-chief at an iftar gathering in Istanbul on Friday, Kurtulmuş said the country has made significant progress but cautioned that the current stage does not mark the end of the effort.

“This was a vital threshold for Türkiye. We have crossed this threshold. But this does not mean that everything is over. A period of intensive work is needed,” he said.

The comments come as a parliamentary commission approved a report setting out a road map for legal reforms alongside the disbandment of the PKK terror group. The commission voted overwhelmingly on Wednesday to approve the report, advancing the terror-free process designed to end decades of PKK terrorism.

The PKK, designated a terrorist organization by Türkiye, the U.S. and the EU, halted attacks last year and said in May it had decided to dissolve itself in response to a February 2025 call by its imprisoned ringleader, Abdullah Öcalan, to end its decades-long attacks.

The parliamentary vote shifts the process to the legislative theater as Ankara advances efforts to end PKK terrorism that began in 1984 and killed more than 40,000 people, sowing discord at home and spreading violence across borders into Iraq and Syria.

Kurtulmuş said the next phase of the initiative depends on armed groups complying with recent calls from Imrali prison where Öcalan has been held since 1999 and taking concrete steps consistent with what he described as a new era. He acknowledged that not all weapons have been surrendered and that some PKK members may have moved elsewhere.

“Determining whether the terrorist organization has fully disbanded and laid down its arms is the responsibility of state security institutions rather than parliament,” Kurtulmuş told journalists.

The parliamentary commission therefore described the current stage as a “critical threshold” and recommended that the executive branch establish a mechanism to monitor developments and report on compliance.

The speaker also called for legal measures outlined in the report to be brought to parliament’s agenda immediately after Ramadan, describing the document as a framework or “touchstone” for future action rather than a binding text.

“The proposals are advisory. Political parties will come together, discuss what can be done and work toward regulations that all parties can support,” he said, emphasizing that the goal is broad consensus rather than passing legislation through a simple parliamentary majority.

Kurtulmuş rejected concerns that references in the report to relations among Turks, Kurds and Arabs could undermine Türkiye’s unitary structure, calling such interpretations a false perception. No proposal has been made to change the state system or territorial integrity, he said, adding that the process is based on social integration and national unity.

Addressing public sentiment, Kurtulmuş said parliament has not conducted its own surveys but is aware of existing research indicating broad support. He pointed to commission hearings where families affected by violence expressed different experiences but shared a common demand.

“What both sides said was: ‘We want to bury the weapons, not our children,’” he said, describing the phrase as the central message of the hearings.

He cautioned that risks remain, including the possibility of provocations or attempts to derail the process, even as public satisfaction appears to be growing.

Separately, Kurtulmuş renewed calls for a new civilian constitution, saying there is broad political agreement that the current charter, drafted after the 1980 military coup, is outdated and no longer sufficient for Türkiye.

He said discussions on additional legal reforms related to the security process, including possible changes to penal regulations, remain at an early stage and will be shaped through negotiations among political parties in the coming period.

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