EC calls for the ‘broadest possible national consensus’

The European Commission (EC), the executive wing of the European Union (EU), has asked the Turkish government to seek a national consensus following Sunday’s referendum results, which, if implemented, will profoundly alter the structure of power and governance in Turkey.

Turks voted “yes”, by a wafer-thin majority of 1.4%, to President Recep Tayyip Erdogan’s push for an executive presidency that would concentrate powers in the hands of the president’s office, likely to be held by Mr. Erdogan himself until 2029.

“In view of the close referendum result and the far-reaching implications of the constitutional amendments, we also call on the Turkish authorities to seek the broadest possible national consensus in their implementation,” a joint statement released on Sunday by European Commission President Jean-Claude Juncker and officials in charge of the EU’s foreign and enlargement policies said.

The EU and Turkey began accession talks in 2005, a process that will require alignment in 35 chapters or policy spheres, yet to date only one chapter has been closed. The European Parliament suspended talks last November over Mr. Erodogan’s crackdown in response to a July 2016 coup attempt to unseat him.

The path to EU accession is far from clear. Mr. Erdogan has been pushing for reinstating the death penalty and Sunday’s results will make that an easier task for him. The EU does not have the death penalty and abolishing capital punishment is a pre-requisite for membership to the union.

“The constitutional amendments, and especially their practical implementation, will be assessed in light of Turkey’s obligations as a European Union candidate country and as a member of the Council of Europe,” the joint EC statement said.

In Germany, Chancellor Angela Merkel and Foreign Minister Sigmar Gabriel said that the tight referendum results showed a divided Turkish society and that meant a big responsibility on Mr. Erdogan personally. They called on Ankara to have an inclusive dialogue with individuals across the political spectrum.

Last month, Mr. Erdogan had taken on Germany and The Netherlands by comparing their restrictions on campaigning within their borders to Nazi-like behaviour. Some 1.4 million German Turks were eligible to vote in Sunday’s referendum and over 60% voted ‘yes’ .

The president of the European Parliament, Antonio Tajani, said he was very concerned about Turkey possibly reviving the death penalty and called it a “red line”. Austrian Foreign Minister Sebastian Kurz said the referendum results were a “clear signal” against the EU.