By Bosphorus News Türkiye Desk
President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan called for a new civilian constitution on October 1 as the Grand National Assembly of Türkiye (TBMM) opened its legislative year, placing constitutional change among the political priorities of the new parliamentary term.
Erdoğan said the process should rest on political negotiation and broad agreement rather than polarization. He presented a new constitution as part of a wider effort to expand parliament's capacity to resolve political differences through democratic politics.
The message followed a broader appeal for a change in political conduct. Erdoğan said the "shelf life" of politics built solely around opposition to the government had expired and argued that parties should compete while still finding common ground on issues involving Türkiye's national interests.
He called that approach the "Great Türkiye Consensus" and linked it to the government's "Terror-Free Türkiye" process.
"We call this the strengthening of the home front. We call this the 'Great Türkiye Consensus.'"
Erdoğan said political differences should remain, but warned against turning those differences into permanent confrontation. His preferred formula was "competition within consensus," with parties retaining separate positions while cooperating on issues he described as national priorities.
The president also addressed the turmoil in part of Türkiye's investment fund market, saying the government was moving to resolve the problem under capital-market rules.
"We are successfully overcoming the problem that emerged in a certain part of the fund market."
He said authorities would act with what he described as fairness and justice and would not allow the issue to become a threat to economic security or social peace.
Erdoğan also presented a series of economic figures. He said Türkiye's economy grew 2.5% in the first half of 2026 and that annualized national income exceeded $1.7 trillion. He put annual exports at $280.3 billion in August, tourism revenue at $25.7 billion in the first six months and defense and aerospace exports at $6.3 billion in the first eight months.
He said the government expects the current-account deficit to remain at 2.6% of gross domestic product this year and is targeting a budget deficit of 3.1%.
Erdoğan opened the parliamentary year by saying ideas, criticism and proposals should be voiced freely within rules of mutual respect. He said the government and Cumhur Alliance would continue listening to different proposals and called for the standing of parliament to be kept above day-to-day political conflict.
Sources: Türkiye's Presidency Directorate of Communications, Bosphorus News review and reporting.