Turkish President initiates work on new Constitution, emphasizes civilian, libertarian vision

Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan announced the initiation of a new constitutional drafting process, appointing a team of legal experts to begin preparations.

The move marks a significant step toward what Erdogan has long described as a necessary transformation to align Türkiye’s foundational law with contemporary democratic values, Caliber.Az reports, citing foreign media.

“As of yesterday, I have assigned 10 legal experts to begin their work, and with this effort, we will proceed with the preparations for the new constitution,” Erdogan said during an address to local administrators from his ruling Justice and Development Party (AKP).

“For 23 years, we have repeatedly demonstrated our sincere intention to crown our democracy with a new civilian and libertarian constitution," he added.

The current Turkish constitution, adopted in 1982, has undergone numerous amendments over the decades. However, President Erdogan has consistently maintained that a comprehensive overhaul is essential to fully eliminate residual military influences and to reflect the evolving needs of a modern, democratic society.

President Erdogan emphasized that the initiative is driven by a national vision rather than personal political ambitions. “We want the new constitution not for ourselves, but our country,” he said last week in a related statement.

By Vafa Guliyeva