Opposition leaders meet for ‘strengthened parliamentary system’

The leaders of six Turkish opposition parties held their first meeting on Feb. 12 to discuss the results of an ongoing joint work to introduce a "strengthened parliamentary system" if they come to power in the next elections.

They evaluated the results of a draft on the return to the parliamentary system and the next steps on how to make it public, along with a road map that they will be followed for the next elections.

A statement released after the meeting said that the "strengthened parliamentary system" memorandum of understanding will be made public by the leaders on Feb. 28 and work on the roadmap for the transition process will continue.

The invitation for the meeting was extended by main opposition Republican People's Party (CHP) chair Kemal Kılıçdaroğlu to İYİ (Good) Party chair Meral Akşener, Felicity Party leader Temel Karamollaoğlu, Democrat Party leader Gültekin Uysal, Democracy and Progress (DEVA) Party leader Ali Babacan and Future Party leader Ahmet Davutoğlu.

"As six political parties, the common responsibility of all of us is to overcome this crisis by reconciliation and unity, and to solve our deep problems on the basis of pluralism by expanding the field of democratic politics," said the statement.

With exactly this belief and determination, the parties said, they carried out intensive work on the a consensus text for the new system in order to strengthen the democratic state of law, as well as to strengthen the legislative, executive and judicial organs. "We are based on consultation and reconciliation, not polarization," read the statement.

They also agreed on the roadmap of the transition process to be studied and shared with citizens.

"The important thing is to build a democratic Turkey where...