Turkish Parliament Approves Constitutional Amendments Package

''EQUALITY BEFORE LAW''
ANKARA - The Turkish Parliamentary General Assembly approved on Friday the constitutional amendments package's Article 1 on ''equality before the law''.
In the vote, 492 MPs of the 550-seat parliament cast their votes. The amendment was approved by 471 votes against 15 votes. There were 4 abstaining and 1 blank votes.
Meanwhile, two motions submitted by the Republican People's Party (CHP) on the Article 1 of the package were rejected.
Under the amendment, expression saying ''woman and man have equal rights'' was added to the Constitution's Article 10 on ''Equality Before the Law''.
ARTICLE TWO ''SUSPENSION OF EXERCISE OF FUNDAMENTAL RIGHTS AND FREEDOMS''
In the vote, 481 MPs of the 550-seat parliament cast their votes. The amendment was approved by 468 votes against 7 votes. There were 2 abstaining and 3 blank votes.
Under the amendment, expression saying ''execution of death sentence'' was excluded from the Constitution's Article 15 on ''Suspension of the Exercise of Fundamental Rights and Freedoms''.
ARTICLE THREE ON ''PERSONAL INVIOLABILITY, MATERIAL AND SPIRITUAL ENTITY OF INDIVIDUAL''
In the vote, 475 MPs of the 550-seat parliament cast their votes. The amendment was approved by 460 votes against 10 votes. There were 3 abstaining and 2 blank votes.
Under the amendment, expression saying ''in case of fulfillment of death sentences ruled out by courts...'' was excluded from the Constitution's Article 17 on ''Personal Inviolability, Material and Spiritual Entity of the individual''.
APPROVES ARTICLE FOUR ON ''PROTECTION OF PRINTING FACILITIES''
In secret vote, 474 MPs of the 550-seat parliament cast their votes. The amendment was approved by 458 votes against 8 votes. There were 1 abstaining and 7 blank votes.
Under the amendment, the Constitution's Article 30 on ''Protection of Printing Facilities'' was amended as ''a printing press or its annexes duly established as a publishing house under law shall not be seized, confiscated, or barred from operation on the grounds of being an instrument of crime.''
Article 30 of the Constitution earlier said, ''a printing press or its annexes duly established as a publishing house under law shall not be seized, confiscated, or barred from operation on the grounds of being an instrument of crime, except in cases where it is convicted of offences against the indivisible integrity of the State with its territory and nation, against the fundamental principles of the Republic or against national security.''
ARTICLE FIVE ON ''PRINCIPLES RELATING TO OFFENCES AND PENALTIES''
In secret vote, 475 MPs of the 550-seat parliament cast their votes. The amendment was approved by 459 votes against 12 votes. There were 1 abstaining and 3 blank votes.
Under the amendment, the Constitution's Article 38 on ''Principles Relating to Offences and Penalties'' was changed by correcting expression saying ''general confiscation shall not be imposed as a penalty'' as ''death sentence and general confiscation shall not be imposed as a penalty''.
Also, expression in the same article saying ''no citizen shall be extradited to a foreign country on account of an offence'' was changed as ''no citizen shall be extradited to a foreign country on account of an offence except for commitments stemming from Turkey's signing the International Court of Justice''.
ARTICLE SIX ON ''FUNCTIONS AND POWERS OF TURKISH PARLIAMENT''
In secret vote, 470 MPs of the 550-seat parliament cast their votes. The amendment was approved by 456 votes against 8 votes. There were 1 abstaining, 2 invalid and 2 blank votes.
Under the amendment, expression saying ''deciding on fulfillment of death sentences passed by the courts'' was removed from the Constitution's Article 87 on ''Functions and Powers of the Turkish Grand National Assembly''.
ARTICLE ONE SEVEN ''RATIFICATION OF INTERNATIONAL TREATIES''
In secret vote, 482 MPs of the 550-seat parliament cast their votes. The amendment was approved by 375 votes against 102 votes. There were 1 abstaining and 4 blank votes.
With the amendment made to the Constitution's Article 90 on ''Ratification of International Treaties'', provisions of international agreements will be taken as basis in case of possible incompatibilities that may erupt between the international agreements on fundamental rights and freedoms and laws that have different provisions on the same issues.
Meanwhile, the motion submitted by the Republican People's Party against Article 7 of the package was rejected.
ARTICLE EIGHT ON ''SUPERIOR BODIES OF HIGHER EDUCATION''
In secret vote, 474 MPs of the 550-seat parliament cast their votes. The amendment was approved by 451 votes against 17 vote. There were 1 abstaining, and 4 blank votes.
Under the amendment, the General Staff will no more send representatives to Higher Education Board (YOK).
With the amendment to the Constitution's Article 131 on ''Superior Bodies of Higher Education'', members of Higher Education Council will be composed of members elected by Council of Ministers and universities and appointed by the President of the Republic, and the members will be comprised in accordance with the numbers, qualifications and procedure prescribed by law, priority being given to those who have served successfully as faculty members as rectors.
ARTICLE NINE ON ''STATE SECURITY COURTS''
In secret vote, 471 MPs of the 550-seat parliament cast their votes. The amendment was approved by 459 votes against 6 votes. There were 2 abstaining, and 4 blank votes.
Under the amendment, State Security Courts (DGMs) will be annulled and the Constitution's Article 143 on the foundation of DGMs will be no more in effect.
ARTICLE TEN ON ''AUDIT COURT''
In secret vote, 463 MPs of the 550-seat parliament cast their votes. The amendment was approved by 453 votes against 4 votes. There were 1 abstaining, and 5 blank votes.
Under this article, the Constitution's Article 160 on ''Audit Court'' which allows the Audit Court to follow procedure for auditing, on behalf of the Turkish Grand National Assembly, of State property in possession of the Armed Forces was amended.
PARLIAMENTARY GENERAL ASSEMBLY APPROVES PACKAGE'S EFFECTIVENESS ARTICLE
In secret vote, 461 MPs of the 550-seat parliament cast their votes. The amendment was approved by 451 votes against 4 vote. There were 6 blank votes.
The package's last article on its operative effect says, ''this law takes effect on its release date and the whole law is put to vote in case it is brought to referendum.''
(UK) 07.05.2004