- September 24

Turkish MPs debate abolishing death penalty to boost EU bid

ANKARA  - Turkish lawmakers opened debate on Monday on abolishing the death penalty and other far-reaching constitutional reforms in an attempt to boost the country's drive to join the European Union.

 The MPs returned to parliament last week, cutting short their summer recess, after the parliament speaker issued a call for an extraordinary session to take up the 37-item package aimed at catching up with EU norms.

 The reforms are expected to be passed in early October after the deputies complete lengthy debate and voting procedures.

 The government of Prime Minister Bulent Ecevit aims to have the package adopted before November when EU executives will release a report on Turkey's progress towards membership since the declaration of its candidacy in 1999.

 A severe economic crisis and intra-government bickering have so far blocked the way for any major reform to improve Turkey's much-criticized human rights record, which the EU puts as a condition for the opening of accession talks.

 Turkey, the only Muslim country vying for EU membership, is lagging behind the other 12 aspirants, who have already started accession talks with the Union.

 The reform package has received backing from all six parties in parliament as well as from civic groups with many of them calling even for a completely new constitution.

 Turkey's top business associations and trade unions voiced support for the reforms in one-page advertisements in the Turkish press on Monday.

 "Yes to changing the constitution in the name of moving towards a strong and secure country, respectful of human rights, and living in democracy, peace and freedom," read the advertisement.

 The long-sought reforms include the abolition of capital punishment except in times of war and for crimes of terrorism, a provision designed to exclude Turkey's public enemy number one, Kurdish rebel chief Abdullah Ocalan, who is on a death row for separatism.

 The draft lifts a ban on using "forbidden languages" in the expression and dissemination of thought, which could allow for the broadcast of the Kurdish language by the media.

 It also makes it more difficult to ban political parties and adds more civilian members to the country's top policy-making body, the military-dominated National Security Council.

 Other proposals seek to improve freedom of expression and expand the rights of trade unions.

Turkey's constitution, criticized as oppressive and restrictive, is the legacy of the 1980 military coup when the army took over the country's administration amid political chaos and bloody street clashes between supporters of the left and right.