Hayrât Foundation’s Proposal for the New Constitution
As the successors of a deep-rooted civilization, a unifying culture, and a rich history, our nation has the potential and responsibility to ensure that the justice and rights rule all around the world, and to build peace, security and prosperity of the humanity by starting from our own country.
The most important step to reveal this potential and to fulfil this responsibility is to write a new, civilian, and nation-owned constitution which will reinforce the social unity in the framework of a consensus and will embrace all walks of life.
The new constitution must be people and service oriented in accordance with the word “Lift up the human so that the country lives.” It should contain clear provisions that can be easily understood by every citizen.
A new constitution, which does not include prohibitions, understanding of statism and ideology, any principles and clauses that cannot be changed, and which is saved from institutions of tutelage restricting the national sovereignty, will be decisive for Turkey to establish a worldwide reputation she deserves.
As the members of the Board of Social Affairs Assessment of Hayrât Foundation, under the leadership of more than thirty jurists, we have come together with our friends who have worked in various NGOs, and carried out this work. We want to support the writing process of the new constitution in consultative terms.
The study lasted almost one year. We have conducted weekly meetings and full-day workshops for coordination once in a month.
We have carried out our work under five titles. We have made an overall assessment in the first section. In second section, we focused on the issue that the new constitution should pave the way to social consensus. In the third section, we evaluated the freedom of religion and conscience. In the fourth section, we evaluated the rehabilitation measures for the tutelage of the regime. In the final section, we examined the general structure of our political and administrative structure, and the system of government.
Shortly, the most important sides of the new constitution for us are being civil and liberal. It should directly reflect the public’s will. It should be proactive not reactional. Moreover, all the approaches and measures of tutelage have to be refused. In this respect, the new constitution should respect the decisions of the public and rely on them. Indeed, it should not be state-centric as it used to be, but it must be prepared in an anthropocentric understanding.
It is apparent that we need a new constitution which takes lessons from the mistakes made since the establishment of the republic, which ensures the unity of our people not in discourse but in practice, and embraces all segments of the society.
We hope that in the coming period these studies will give their fruits; and with a wide agreement in the society we will sign a social contract that will pave the way for us to take our deserved place in the developing world.
At this important crossroads, if we have contributed to some extend through this work and effort, we will consider ourselves happy.
Best regards.
The Board of Social Affairs Assessment of Hayrât Foundation
