A New Constitution for a Stable Nation: A Constitutional Study on the Long-Running Kurdish Question in Turkey

Abstract

The absence of a stable nation resulted in a national problem in Turkey, the Kurdish question. Although the country has been attempting to construct a stable nation for more than a decade, it has become apparent that the construction process cannot be completed in the existence of the current Turkish Constitution. Creating a new constitution has therefore become central to the State’s agenda. By employing the methods of comparative constitutional law, this article gives some suggestions for a potential new Turkish constitution that would eventually come up with a formula to form the stable nation and to help the country to resolve its long-running national problem. First, the new constitution may recognise Kurdish and its dialects as national or regional official languages. Second, it may lay a foundation for bilingual education that would enable the use of Kurdish as the language of instruction. Third, it may embrace the term ‘Türkiyeli’ to rule on citizenship matters. Finally, the constitution may provide constitutional protection for Kurdish linguistic, cultural and historical characteristics.