Turkish Parliament to re-convene with busy agenda

The Turkish Parliament is set to re-convene on June 2 after nearly a 45-day break with a busy agenda, as the country has lifted many of the restrictions imposed in a bid to curb the spread of the novel coronavirus.

Parliament went on a recess on April 16 after an intense legislative campaign on issues related to Turkey's fight against COVID-19 as well as its economic impacts. The legislative activities will be held under strict safeguards imposed by the office of the parliament speaker and parliament will be closed to visitors until the end of June.

A draft bill on the duties and responsibilities of watchmen will be the first legislation the lawmakers will discuss at the General Assembly. In the meantime, the third judicial reform package will be brought to a panel in parliament before it is submitted to the General Assembly.

Parliament's agenda is expected to be overwhelmed in the coming weeks as the ruling Justice and Development Party (AKP) and its main political ally, the Nationalist Movement Party (MHP) are working on a draft bill to overhaul the structures and regulations of certain associations and chambers. This includes the Turkish Bar Association, provincial bar associations and chambers of engineers and architects among others.

A legislative road map about these regulations will be discussed at the AKP's central decision-making body that will be gathered under the leadership of chair and President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan on June 3.

Amendments on key laws

The AKP and the MHP are also mulling introducing a set of new amendments regarding some key laws, namely the Law on Political Parties, the Election Law and Law on Political Ethics. Although AKP officials confirm an ongoing brainstorming about these...

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