The chances for the Turkish Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan’s government to write a new constitution for the country are growing dimmer.

First, in October, Devlet Bahceli, the opposition leader of Nationalist Movement Party (MHP), reacted harshly to the announced democratization package. “In this package, there are political minefields that threaten Turkey’s future and challenge its existence,” he said, and linked it to the process of writing a new constitution. “The Constitutional Reconciliation Commission (CRC) has reached agreement so far on 59 articles. No one has the right to play games with the Parliament suggesting that these four parties reached consensus on those 59 articles packing them with the democratization package.” 

Interestingly enough, MHP has been quite helpful in the past to support AKP proposals in making changes to laws — as on the headscarf issue. This time though, as they perceive the democratization package as a means to help the Kurds in their desire to build an autonomous administration in the east and southeast part of the country, they became the “No!” party to make legal changes. In fact, none of those agreed-upon articles at the CRC addresses the controversial issues of the country.

The CRC started its work in May 2012 with three deputies from each of the elected parliamentary parties (AKP, CHP, MHP and BDP) to write a new constitution.