Boycott at new Turkish parliament

28 June 2011 Last updated at 14:43 GMT The swearing-in ceremony went ahead Opposition parties in Turkey have boycotted the swearing-in of the new parliament after judges barred nine elected MPs from taking their seats.

The biggest opposition party, the secular CHP, joined pro-Kurdish members in shunning the swearing-in ceremony at the parliament in Ankara.

The ruling AKP won this month's polls but is under pressure to consult the opposition on big policy decisions.

One such decision is the drafting of a new constitution.

The election was widely praised as a sign of Turkey's political maturity but Tuesday's boycott has exposed old fault-lines that still threaten the country's democratic development, the BBC's Jonathan Head reports from Istanbul.

Threat to stability

A series of judicial decisions stripped one MP of his seat and barred eight others from attending parliament because they were in prison, on charges that critics say are politically motivated.

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We cannot talk about democracy in a country where judges base their decisions on the government's interest, not universal principles of justice”

End Quote Kemal Kilicdaroglu CHP leader The opposition parties argue that the jailed MPs are entitled to parliamentary immunity because they are still on trial and have not been convicted.

CHP leader Kemal Kilicdaroglu accused the judges of favouring the government.

"We cannot talk about democracy in a country where judges base their decisions on the government's interest, not universal principles of justice," he said.

The CHP won 135 seats in the 550-seat parliament.

The pro-Kurdish BDP refused even to attend the opening session of parliament, after the election board transferred one of the 36 seats it had won to the AKP.

The MP who lost his seat had been convicted of making statements supporting the Kurdish insurgent movement, the PKK, something all BDP candidates did during the campaign.

Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan has criticised the opposition parties for nominating jailed candidates.

"Could they not have found other candidates?" he asked on Monday. "They nominated these people knowing that it would cause such a problem."

A continued boycott by the BDP could re-ignite the conflict in the Kurdish south-east, our correspondent says.

The CHP boycott will also make it difficult for Mr Erdogan to start working on the new constitution, which he has called the top priority of his government.

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Turkey votes for new parliament

12 June 2011 Last updated at 04:10 GMT The AKP wants to redraw Turkey's military-drafted constitution Polls have opened in Turkey with Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan and his Justice and Development Party (AKP) seeking a third term in office.

After eight years in power, the AKP hopes for two-thirds of the seats in parliament to make promised amendments to the constitution.

The main challenger is the secular Republican People's Party (CHP).

It is fielding a large number of younger candidates in an attempt to improve its appeal.

The conservative AKP, which has Islamist roots, has presided over strong economic growth and a more assertive foreign policy during its eight years in power.

It has also seen unemployment fall - down to 11.5% in March from 14.4% in the same period last year.

The AKP has put its impressive economic record at the centre of its campaign, promising an ambitious programme of new construction if elected.

Projects include a canal from the Black Sea to the Aegean, a new city outside Istanbul and new bridges, airports and hospitals.

The BBC's Jonathan Head in Istanbul says the party is relying heavily on the charisma of Mr Erdogan, who has proved a vote-winner in the past.

However he is facing a strong challenge from the CHP, which has not been in government for more than 30 years.

Under its new leader Kemal Kilicdaroglu, the party has ditched its image as a supporter of state and military intervention in politics, and is presenting itself as a champion of European social democratic values.

Campaigning has been intense and at times bad-tempered with party leaders trading insults.

Mr Erdogan has promised to draw up a new constitution if re-elected to replace the current military-drafted one.

If he can win a two-thirds majority in parliament he will be able to do this without consulting the opposition or the public - giving him a decisive influence over the future direction of Turkish democracy.

Turkey is a member of Nato and is a candidate for membership of the European Union.

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