ANKARA - Turkish President Ahmet Necdet Sezer ratified constitutional amendment package, Presidential Press Center said on Friday.
A statement of the Presidential Press Center noted that Sezer ratified constitutional amendment package and sent it to the Prime Ministry to be issued in the Official Gazette.
Under the package, expression saying ''woman and man have equal rights'' was added to the Constitution's Article 10 on ''Equality Before the Law''.
In accordance with the package, expression saying ''execution of death sentence'' was excluded from the Constitution's Article 15 on ''Suspension of the Exercise of Fundamental Rights and Freedoms''.
The package envisages exclusion of expression saying ''in case of fulfillment of death sentences ruled out by courts...'' from the Constitution's Article 17 on ''Personal Inviolability, Material and Spiritual Entity of the individual''.
The package amended the Constitution's Article 30 on ''Protection of Printing Facilities'' 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.''
Under the package, 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 signature under the International Court of Justice''.
Under the package, 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''.
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.
Under the package, 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.
In accordance with the package, State Security Courts (DGMs) will be annulled and the Constitution's Article 143 on the foundation of DGMs will be no more in effect.
The package amended 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.
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.''
Turkish parliament had adopted the constitutional amendment package on May 7.
The package envisaging amendments to ten articles of the Constitution was submitted to the Turkish parliament after it had been signed by 198 deputies of the ruling Justice and Development Party (AK Party) on April 28, 2004.
The package envisages amendments to articles 10, 15, 17, 30, 38, 87, 90, 131, 143 and 160 of the Constitution.
(BRC-AÖ) 21.05.2004