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Selina Dogan: People in Turkey, Including the Armenian Community, Do Not Have Any Hope (EXCLUSIVE)

 

On the eve of the Constitutional referendum in Turkey to be held on April 16, "Armedia" IAA is conducting interviews with the representatives of the political forces of "Yes" and "No" camps.

"Armedia" IAA presents an exclusive interview with the representative of Republican People’s Party (CHP), Deputy of the Turkish Parliament with Armenian origin, Selina Dogan. 

 

 

What is the position of your party on the constitutional changes in Turkey?

- Of course, we are opposing these reforms. We support amendment of this Constitution, but not in this way. Not only Constitution. We propose to amend the whole legislation that comes from the military coup in the 1980s, but they put this agenda – the presidential system, which is not at all what Turkey needs. They are imposing one person system. Everything is going to depend on one person instead of a common sense coming from the parliamentary system. We do not say that the parliamentary system is perfect. Of course, it also needs some reforms.

In the past we agreed with 60 articles with the AKP, but they threw them away and they formed what we have now. The Parliament is not going to have power; there will not be any control for the execution. We keep saying that no one should be attributed to such great powers with no control, because it is a human being, everybody can make mistakes. Democracy means to take necessary measures for these mistakes.

As for our strategy in this campaign, them it is based on country issue. We say that it is not an issue of a certain political party, because that is what AKP is doing. They are trying to reduce these changes to Erdogan’s personality, instead of explaining the changes in the articles. They do not do this at all. They are doing the propaganda of AKP. However, we are trying to say that it is not the question of AKP, you can vote for that party in general elections. In the referendum people are going to be asked whether they want to change the system of governance or no. In all our brochures, booklets we do not have CHP logo, we are trying to conduct an anonymous campaign, as they are trying to criminalize all the opposition, all the "No" sayers. They say "the PKK is saying "No" and also the CHP is saying "No", you should say "Yes"". It is such a dirty campaign they are conducting. So we are trying to cooperate with all those, who say "No", irrespective of who they are  - University students, NGOs, etc. We say it is not a CHP issue, it is a country issue – Turkey’s issue. We want to live together and we do not want to give all the powers to one person.

 

- What developments should be expected in the internal and external politics of Turkey in case it passes to presidential system?

- The European Union and the Council of Europe have concentrated their attention to Turkey. They keep saying that this is going to be against the European basic, fundamental values – rule of law, independence of powers, multi-pluralism. If "Yes" wins Turkey is going to be alone.

If "Yes" wins, Turkey is going to be a party state, because the presidential system depends on party. So all the judicial system, the Parliament, all the bureaucracy is going to depend on one person, on one political party’s ideology. So anybody, who does not belong to this party is not going to feel not to belong to this country. Already Turkey is extremely polarized, like a fruit cut into two parts. So if "Yes" wins, it is going to be worse. Hundreds of people have already left Turkey, because they do not have any hope, included the Armenian community. "No" will mean hope for living together in the Republic of Turkey. We say that the Republic is the power of the society, but now they give this power to one person, irrespective, who this person is. We are against the system, not a person.

 

- What changes will the presidential system bring in the policy of the Turkish authorities towards religious minorities?

- If "Yes" vote wins, Turkey is going to be one party state and anybody, who does not belong to that political party, no matter his ethnicity and religion, will not have place. It is going to be a system against pluralism. Of course, all ethnic minorities can live better in a pluralistic atmosphere, in a good functioning parliamentary system. In the Presidential system there will be presidential decrees, through which the President will be able to take necessary decisions about our social life, economic conditions. So he is going to have much more power at all levels.

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