Union of Chambers and Commodity Exchanges of Turkey

The 13 professional and civil society organizations which make up the Constitution Platform held its sixth Constitution Citizen Meeting in Ankara under the secretariat of TEPAV.

Attending the meeting held at TOBB ETU were TOBB President M. Rifat Hisarcıklıoğlu, Speaker of the National Assembly Cemil Çiçek, National Assembly Constitution Negotiation Commission's AKP, CHP, MHP and BDP members, Constitution Platform members, local and national NGO representatives and women from 7 provinces.

Speaking at the opening of the meeting, TOBB President M. Rifat Hisarcıklıoğlu celebrated March 8th World Women's Day and said, "Today, we have women from Ankara and from all 81 provinces here. The cornerstone of our families and the future of our country. I celebrate the World Women's Day. We have not come together for that reason today though, we have not come here to make speeches to you. Quite the opposite, we have come together to listen to the women of Turkey."

- Turkey needs a new constitution

Stating the need for a new constitution as the old one no longer addresses the needs of the country, Hisarcıklıoğlu said, "These old clothes prevent us from moving freely. It prevents us from sprinting. We need to change out of these old clothes. The tailor must the people this time around. If there is to be a new suit of clothes, the people must sew it. The constitution should be formed behind closed doors by experts but by the agreement of the people. Until today citizens only confirmed the choices made by experts. We want to dictate the new constitution to the experts this time."

Stating that on the 8th of March, the World Women's Day, the women of Turkey will plot the path of the country, Hisarcıklıoğlu said that if this is to be a country where man and woman walk side by side then the constitution must be written together as well. Hisarcıklıoğlu said, "On the one hand you claim that the republic was established by man and woman, together; our women carried artillery shells and weapons on their backs but the you go and push women aside in all fields of life and disregard them. This will not stand! There are among us today, businesswomen, artisans and public servants, workers, pensioners, teachers, actors, doctors, lawyers and housewives! Be sure of this: March 8th Women's Day will find its true meaning here. Today, Turkey's women will speak. Given the chance our women write stories of success. The most notable example of this are our women entrepreneurs. They have organized themselves without quota or discrimination in every province. They have become important actors in chambers and exchanges. Now, the women of Turkey will be the architects of its constitution.

We believe that this constitution should be one that focuses on the individual, shuns all discrimination, strives to realize the ideal of equality in all aspects of social life, allows individuals to benefit from basic rights and freedoms on a universal standard, democratic, secular and a social state under the rule of law."

- "We will see just how much we have in common"

Reminding that all political parties made promises before the elections, TOBB President Hisarcıklıoğlu said, "NGOs have been integrated into the process. The National Assembly decreed that the tailor of the new constitution should be the people. As the Constitution Platform, we organized 'Turkey Talks'. We want Turkey to talk. We will see just how much we have in common once we talk together. We do not withhold anything each other. The organizations which make up the Constitution Platform all have differing opinions, ideas and interests; on any other day we'd have different things to say, but today, we stand together. Mevlana had a beautiful saying, 'Those who feel the same understand each other, not those who speak the same tongue.' We all share the same feelings regarding the future of this country. We act as one heart for the new constitution. We all have a single passion, Turkey."

- "Now is the time to talk"

Stating that they have toured all of Turkey for the Constitution Citizen Meetings, Hisarcıklıoğlu said that these citizen meetings show the true shared feelings of Turkey. Saying that for the first time in Turkey, the participatory democracy process is in effect, the TOBB President went on, "We organized these meetings in Ankara, Konya, Edirne, Diyarbakır and İzmir. Now it is your turn to speak. Today is the day to talk. Speak freely, no matter what your political, religious views may be. Say what kind of a future you want. State freely what you want for Turkey, for the future of our women and children. Everyone here will contribute. Your contributions to the constitution process will come together. If you don't speak today, you will be responsible for it."

- Speaker of the National Assembly Cemil Çiçek

Speaker of the National Assembly Cemil Çiçek stated that one of the most significant indicators as to the quality of democracy in a country are the clauses regarding women's rights in the legislation and the constitution.

Çiçek said, "We made sure that this meeting, the latest of a series of meetings we've held throughout Turkey, coincided with the World Women's Day. It is our belief that the most significant indicators as to the quality of democracy in a country are the clauses regarding women's rights in the legislation and the constitution. The quality of democracy is, in a way, dependent on this. For this reason, the recognition of the political rights of women by the will which established the Republic, the National Assembly and, without a doubt, the Great Atatürk have been historically important. Not just for us but for the whole world."

- Other speakers

Other speakers emphasizing the importance of the day with speeches were Memur-Sen President Ahmet Gündoğdu, Notaries Union Vice President Handan Baykan, TESK President Bendevi Palandöken and TZOB President Şemsi Bayraktar.
​