Freshly appointed Justice Minister Yılmaz Tunç promised to deliver key reforms in the judiciary and teased a new constitution for Türkiye after he took his vow in President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan’s new government on Saturday.
“I am honored to be part of the new Cabinet at the onset of the 'Century of Türkiye,'” Tunç told Anadolu Agency (AA) after the ceremony in Ankara where Erdoğan was sworn in as the 13th Turkish president following his reelection in a historic runoff and unveiled his Cabinet.
The "Century of Türkiye," revealed by Erdoğan’s ruling Justice and Development Party (AK Party) last year, is a visionary project meant to foster economic, social and cultural leaps for the country as it enters its second century as a republic.
In his inauguration speech, Erdoğan hailed the start of the century, saying, “The doors of our country’s growth have been opened.”
Tunç, who replaced Bekir Bozdağ, also praised a slew of “historic reforms” Türkiye has marked under Erdoğan in the past 21 years, pointing to a “jump in democratic standards, fortification of the rule of law, strengthening of the judiciary’s impartiality and independence.”
“Under previous ministers, Türkiye has made dozens of legislative amendments and introduced vital innovations to execution as part of the Legal Reform Strategy Document and Human Rights Actions Plan,” Tunç recalled.
The plans were launched as part of a series of legal reforms Erdoğan’s government kicked off starting in 2019 to establish legal security and enhance freedom of speech and rights for women and the disabled.
“Now with the start of the Century of Türkiye, we will work around the clock to ensure this reform period continues and our people’s faith in justice is increased,” Tunç said.
Having previously served as the spokesperson of the Parliamentary Justice Commission, Tunç has experience working with the Justice Ministry. He has partaken in the renewal of fundamental laws, the updates to the legislation and ensuring the compliance of the presidential system of government.
The Justice Ministry is vital in applying legislative practices because justice and development go hand in hand, he explained.
“We will be leading key projects in the coming period to deliver justice and ensure our people get to exercise their basic rights and freedoms until the very end,” he said. “Our election declaration includes a variety of promises on law and we will work to realize these within a certain period.”
In its manifesto for May 14 elections, the AK Party pledged a legislative reform and a higher standard of democracy, as well as a revision of the Law for Political Parties, including the requirement of parliamentary approval for the closure of political parties.
Such a shutdown could come to the spotlight in the coming months for the controversial Peoples’ Democratic Party (HDP), fighting a lawsuit for its alleged links to the PKK terrorist group. The HDP clinched 61 lawmakers by running under another party in the parliamentary polls. Its closure case is currently on hold for its verbal defense.
The party’s other promises included introducing the Public Initiative, which will enable ordinary citizens to propose a new law or appeal to the Constitutional Court for annulment of an existing law if they gather enough signatures in their petitions.
Tunç also broached the subject of a new constitution under civilian rule, something Erdoğan has been pushing to replace the one introduced after a military coup in 1980.
Since a 2017 referendum approved Türkiye’s shift from a parliamentary to a presidential system, he has vowed to pass a “civilian, libertarian and inclusive constitution” when the opportunity arises.
In his first speech after the oath-taking ceremony on Saturday, he reiterated his promise for a “more liberal” constitution.
Tunç called the transition to the presidential system a “constitutional reform in on itself” and listed the series of legal regulations that took effect in recent years, like the end of military justice, further democratization of the Council of Judges and Prosecutors (HSK) and the Constitutional Court (AYM), as well as steps in advancing women and children’s rights, and protection of personal data.
“We have made constitutional changes that allowed putschists to be punished and the lifting of martial law,” Tunç explained.
“Our people deserve a new, democratic, civilian constitution,” he stressed and concluded, “Hopefully, we will forge one such constitution in the 'Century of Türkiye’s' first legislative term if Parliament can achieve an agreement.”
