Government plans to merge municipalities taken to court

THE main opposition Republican Turkish Party (CTP) has filed a lawsuit at the Constitutional Court aimed at annulling the law regarding the reduction in the number of municipalities from 28 to 18.

The case was filed by the party’s secretary-general Asım Akansoy, MP Ürün Solyalı and lawyer Ayşen Özdenefe.

Making a statement outside court after the case was filed, Mr Akansoy said that “unconstitutional acts” had been committed during the process of creating the law, and accused the National Unity Party (UBP), the largest party in the coalition government, of having an “I can do what I want” attitude.

Mr Akansoy said it is “the responsibility of opposition parties to correct wrongdoers and bring them around to doing right” and that this is “our most fundamental responsibility, both as citizens and as a political party”.

He concluded by saying that the Constitutional Court’s decision would determine if the December 25 local elections will be held for 18 or 28 municipalities.