%0 Journal Article
%T The September 12 Referendum and its Social and Political Assessments
%A Yusuf Devran
%A Gulcan Seckin
%J Global Media Journal : Turkish Edition
%D 2011
%I Yeditepe University
%X Since the AK (Justice and Development) Party came to power in 2002, there have been several attempts and initiatives to draft a civil constitution by both the government and non-governmental civil organisations. After the general election in summer 2007, the AK Party formed an independent commission to prepare and work on the draft of civil constitution. The commission is comprised of outstanding and respected scholars of law like Ergun  zbudun, Z¨¹ht¨¹ Arslan, Levent K ker, Yavuz Atar and Serap Yaz c . However, these genuine attempts and initiatives were cut short because of harsh critics raised by the opposition party and other parties represented in the Turkish Grand National Assembly. Instead, in 2010, the government proposed a package in order to make partial amendments of the current constitution. All political parties objected and were not involved in debates over the package in the parliament even pro-Kurdish Party, the BDP (Peace and Democracy Party) did not participate in the meetings. When the package passed and endorsed with minor changes by the parliament, it was taken to the referendum. The referendum campaigns headed by mostly political parties and some civil organisations and leading personalities, a turned to be a vote of confidence for the government. While the government gave more priorities to the contents of package, opposition parties and like minded organisations and political figures focused on the government¡¯s policies, political performances. Consequently, the referendum campaigns polarised the voting behaviours of people and put the constitutional amendments and debates in the secondary position.
%K Referendum
%K Constitution
%K Coup d¡¯Etad
%K Status Quo
%K Conservative Democrat
%K e-Coup d¡¯Etad
%U http://globalmediajournaltr.yeditepe.edu.tr/makaleler/GMJ%202011%20Bahar/pdf/Yusuf%20Devran%2012%20Eyl%C3%BCl%20Referandumunun%20Sosyal%20ve%20Politik%20A%C3%A7%C4%B1dan%20De%C4%9Ferlendirilmesi.pdf