08 June 2017•Update: 09 June 2017
By Kemal Karadag
ANKARA
A bill to bring Turkey’s Constitution closer in line with reforms passed in a referendum in April has been submitted to the Prime Ministry, a source from the Justice Ministry said Thursday.
The bill would change 132 articles in line with 16 adjustment laws passed in the referendum, said a source, who asked not to be named due to restrictions on speaking to the media.
The bill proposes changes to laws including the Military Code of Justice, the Judges and Prosecutors Law, and laws on the Constitutional Court, Council of State, and Supreme Court.
After being reviewed by the Cabinet, the bill is set to be sent to parliament.
Under the changes, military personnel will be tried in civil courts.
In addition, the Supreme Council of Judges and Prosecutors is set to be renamed the Council of Judges and Prosecutors.
Under the changes, the Constitutional Court will have the jurisdiction to try the president; parliament speaker; deputies of the president; government ministers; members of the Constitutional Court, Supreme Court, and Council State; chief public prosecutors and their deputies; members of the Council of Judges and Prosecutors; the president and members of the Court of Auditors; and chief of General Staff and branch commanders of the Turkish Armed Forces.
The constitutional changes were first passed by Parliament in an 18-article bill in January, and then approved in a referendum on April 16.
The changes hand wide-ranging executive powers to the president and eliminate the post of prime minister, and also allow the president to retain ties to a political party.
Other changes include lowering the minimum age for parliamentary candidates to 18 and increasing the number of deputies to 600.
