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Turkey's stalled constitution

In the post-Gezi Park protests era, Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan is being pressured to give up on writing a new constitution, at least until the March elections are over.
Supporters of the Nationalist Movement Party (MHP) make the grey wolf sign of the party as they wait for the arrival of party leader Devlet Bahceli during a rally in Istanbul October 5, 2013. REUTERS/Osman Orsal (TURKEY - Tags: POLITICS ) - RTR3FMK7

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.” 

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