Izmir to Discuss the New Constitution … The next meeting of the Constitution Platform Citizens’ Assembly series will be held in Izmir.

ANKARA - The fifth meeting of the “Turkey Speaks: Citizens’ Assembly" series will be held in Izmir on Sunday, March 4, 2012. Previous meetings of the series were held in Ankara, Konya, Edirne and Diyarbakır.

The series is presented by the Constitution Platform initiative group, made up of thirteen professional organizations and syndicates. The initiative, which was started with the slogan “Turkey Speaks” with the secretariat of TEPAV, will hold broad-participation meetings in several cities throughout 2012. The initiative, which aims to reach hundreds of participants with each meeting, will be the biggest event for deliberative democracy in Turkey.

Invitations are extended not to individuals or organizations from a certain group, sector, or ideology, but to randomly selected citizens. The meetings aim to compile the opinions, demands and expectations of people about the new constitution on a neutral, free and civilized platform for deliberation. The framework to be drawn throughout the citizens’ meetings is expected to contribute to the establishment of consensus within the Turkish National Assembly (TNA).

The Constitution Committee, consisting of equal representation of all parties of the TNA, was briefed on the Citizens’ Meetings. Members of the Committee support the efforts and attend the meetings.

The Platform makes keen efforts to ensure the impartiality of the meetings. It uses innovative and special methods in both the identification of meeting participants and the organization of the meeting content.

Hundreds attend the meetings

The first meeting of the Constitution Platform –Turkey Speaks Citizens’ Assembly was held on Sunday, January 8, 2012 in Ankara, followed by the second meeting in Konya, the third in Edirne and the fourth in Diyarbakır. The meetings started with opening remarks by TOBB President M. Rifat Hisarcıklıoğlu and TNA Speaker Cemil Çiçek. The opening ceremony was attended by professional organizations, union confederations and civil society organizations as well as Constitutional Committee member MPs.

Who are Platform members?

The Constitution Platform initiative group is formed by TOBB, TZOB, TESK, TÜRK-İŞ, TİSK, HAK-İŞ, MEMUR-SEN, KAMU-SEN, TÜRMOB, the Turkish Veterinary Medical Association, the Union of Turkish Bar Associations, the Association of Turkish Travel Agencies, and the Union of Turkish Public Notaries. The initiative welcomes contributions from other institutions among which were TÜSİAD, TİM, MÜSİAD, TUSKON, TÜMSİAD, TÜRKONFED,  Women’s Constitution Platform, Turkish Federation of the Disabled, and the Civil Society Development Center.