ANKARA - Salih Kapusuz, the deputy group leader of Justice and Development Party (AK Party) said on Monday that the issue of Turkey's sending soldiers to Iraq was a very important decision for integrity, security and even development of Turkey.
Responding to questions of journalists in the parliament, Kapusuz said that the decision of President Ahmet Necdet Sezer about the constitutional amendment on sale of lands which lost the character of being forest was not yet known.
''We attribute importance to constitutional amendment. If President Sezer returns the law, we can think of convening the parliament for an emergency session. We re-arranged the law in line with the wishes of President Sezer, I hope he will approve it,'' Kapusuz said. When asked about the possibility of President Sezer's submitting the law to a referendum, Kapusuz said that CHP had the same demand and that AK Party was not reluctant to holding such a referendum.
Kapusuz said that although they had the majority to change the constitution on themselves, they favoured to have a broad compromise on this issue, adding that AK Party government attributed importance to participation and that they wanted to amend the Constitution by the participation of all institutions at all levels.
Noting that an understanding like ''your vote is 35 percent; you have 65 percent of vote against you'' was a wrong attitude which opened the regime to a discussion, Kapusuz said, ''then it can be said there is 81 percent against 19 percent. This is not true.''
Kapusuz said that every sector of society requested the change of Higher Education Board (YOK) Law and they postponed the draft which they had prepared for a while to provide participation.
Noting that change of bylaws could be urgently brought onto agenda in the new legislative term, Kapusuz said that many comprehensive draft laws were on the agenda and emphasized that those should be discussed within the scope of basic laws. He added that they would arrange the change of bylaws by taking into consideration the reasons of cancellation decision of Constitutional Court.
Kapusuz said that a commission comprising of Republican people's Party (CHP) and AK Party deputies would start activities in the new legislative term to limit political immunity of deputies.
Kapusuz replied questions regarding Turkey's sending soldier to Iraq. He said that a summit would be held on Tuesday and the issue would be evaluated on every level.
Kapusuz said, ''the decision, which will be taken, is very important for Turkey's unity, security and even development. We continue the negotiations and evaluations with all organizations, institutions and with politicians and neighbor countries. Our government is very sensitive about the issue from the beginning. A decision will be taken after all these negotiations are held. Then, the necessary thing will be done.''
Upon a question, Kapusuz said that he did not see an opposite attitude from AK Party and public opinion about sending soldier to Iraq.
(Öª-GC-AÖ) 11.08.2003