By Sinan Uslu, Mehmet Tosun, and Baris Gundogan
ANKARA (AA) – Turkish Prime Minister Binali Yildirim Monday discussed with two opposition party leaders the decree laws passed under the state of emergency declared following the July 15 failed coup.
Yildirim first met main opposition Republican People’s Party (CHP) leader Kemal Kilicdaroglu and later Nationalist Movement Party (MHP) leader Devlet Bahceli.
“Kilicdaroglu shared some of his sensitivities, ideas, and concerns,” Yildirim told reporters after their 2.00 p.m. (1100GMT) meeting at CHP headquarters in the capital Ankara, adding that they will take into consideration his concerns about the decree laws.
Yildirim said it was “important” to remove the conditions that led to “quick” implementation of the state of emergency.
Kilicdaroglu called his meeting with Yildirim “productive” and added: “We delivered our ideas and concerns about the decree laws to the prime minister. He noted them. I believe our communications will continue in the coming days.”
After Kilicdaroglu, Yildirim met the Nationalist Movement Party’s Bahceli at 3.30 p.m. (1230GMT) at the Turkish parliament.
Yildirim told reporters afterwards: “The aim of passing a decree law based on the state of emergency is to eliminate the danger of a coup attempt and normalize politics.”
Bahceli said: “We conveyed our ideas on the decisions. Hopefully, the implementation of the state of emergency will continue successfully. Turkey will soon be saved from any kind of coup attempt.”
About the push for a new Constitution, which predated the failed coup, Yildirim said the ruling Justice and Development (AK) Party, CHP, and MHP will appoint one person apiece to a group to make a detailed report to be submitted to party leaders.
After the deadly coup attempt, which martyred more than 230 people and injured nearly 2,200 others, Turkey declared a state of emergency on July 20.
During a state of emergency, the Cabinet has the right to issue statutory decrees under the president of the republic without regard to routine procedures and restrictions in Article 91 of the Constitution. These decrees are first published in the Official Gazette and then submitted to parliament for ratification.
Following the declaration of the state of emergency, opposition leaders expressed doubts about the decree laws being passed too rapidly. Kilicdaroglu argued that the government was trying to “reshape” the state while “excluding the society which opposed the failed coup.”
* Diyar Guldogan contributed to this story.
