Violence Perpetrators Not To Become Deputy

A parliament commission in charge of Turkey's new draft constitution approved an article on the deputy eligibilities, which barred candidates with a documented history of sexual harassment, rape, torture or crime against humanity. Other non-eligibility crimes included theft, corruption, bribe, violence against women or children, hoax bankruptcy and smuggling.

On issues like eligibility age limit and compulsory drafting, however, no consensus has been made. While the ruling party AKP and pro-Kurdish BDP agreed on 18 to be the age limit for deputy eligibility, Turkish nationalist MHP insisted on 25.

On compulsory drafting, the main opposition party CHP proposed compulsory civil service as an alternative to drafting, a proposition strongly contested by Turkish nationalist MHP saying that it would encourage PKK members to surrender. (ÇT)