Sıla Usar İncirli: Prime Minister Did Not Consult Us On Referendum Date

Supreme Court President Özerdağ and members of the Supreme Council of the Judiciary met with CTP Chairwoman Sıla Usar İncirli and a CTP delegation at the Assembly of the Republic to discuss the constitutional amendments planned for the judiciary.

CTP Deputy Group Chairs Erkut Şahali and Asım Akansoy also attended the meeting. Following the talks, statements were made by Supreme Court President Özerdağ and CTP Chairwoman İncirli.

Bertan Özerdağ: Submitting The Amendment To A Referendum With Broad Public Support Is Of Great Importance

Supreme Court President Bertan Özerdağ recalled that a constitutional amendment proposal had been prepared to overcome the difficulties faced by the judiciary and that it had begun to be explained to authorities, political parties and civil society organisations.

Özerdağ said the aim of the amendment was to enable the judiciary to function more efficiently and rapidly, increase its capacity, prevent long-standing problems and create a more productive working environment.

Noting that there was public consensus on the necessity of the constitutional amendment, Özerdağ underlined that the issue should be treated as above politics.

He stated that meetings had been held with government partners earlier in the day and that he had now also met with CTP Chairwoman Sıla Usar İncirli. Özerdağ said:

“They had previously expressed positive views on the content of the constitutional amendment we prepared, and in today’s meetings they also conveyed their opinions regarding the timing of this amendment.”

Emphasising that it was of great importance for the amendment to pass through parliament by consensus and to be presented to the public in a referendum as a change embraced by all segments of society, Özerdağ said the proposal would be clarified in the coming period after being evaluated by all parties following discussions in the General Assembly.

Sıla Usar İncirli: We Are Aware Of The Difficulties In Our Courts

CTP Chairwoman Sıla Usar İncirli said they attached great importance to the constitutional amendment and regarded it as a vital issue.

İncirli stated that CTP supported the amendments but had concerns about their timing. She said:

“On the very day we submitted a motion for an early general election, we heard for the first time—together with everyone else—that the Prime Minister announced a date for the referendum. The Prime Minister did not consult us on this matter. What should have been done was to conclude this process with the full approval of the Assembly of the Republic and with the consent of the people. In our view, this issue has turned into a shield and a tool used by the government to avoid an early general election. This is highly dangerous and wrong. What ultimately matters to us is increasing the capacity of the judiciary, accelerating judicial processes and allowing society to breathe a sigh of relief.”

İncirli said they were aware of the problems experienced in the courts, the challenges faced by the judiciary and their impact on society, adding that the constitutional amendment would significantly benefit the public by both increasing judicial capacity and speeding up procedures.

Referring to the experience gained from the referendums held in 2014 and 2020, İncirli stressed the importance of achieving a positive outcome with this referendum. She said:

“From the very beginning, we shared your sensitivity about keeping this issue from becoming politicised, explaining it properly to our people and ensuring it is assessed without political tension. We found this approach very correct.”

İncirli added that they would carry out their evaluations and would continue to contribute to ensuring the process concludes positively.