"We are not participating in the referendum"

The declaration was titled "We are not participating in the Referendum." It was delivered at the Turkish Union of Chambers of Engineers and Architects (TMMOB) by Prof. Dr. Büşra Ersanlı, investigative journalist Faik Bulut, Osman Kavala, Ece Temelkuran, Mukaddes Erdoğdu Çelik, unionist Nebile Irmak Çetin, journalist and writer Ertuğrul Kürkçü, and investigative journalist Erdoğan Aydın.

Prof. Dr. Büşra Ersanlı read most of the declaration. " We want a new constitution that is democratic, egalitarian, and freedom-based. In Erasanlı's opening remarks, she said, "We are not participating at the referendum". "It is obvious that we need a new constitution to address many social problems in this country. But the constitution that will be voted in the referendum is too far behind the expectations of the people of Turkey. The government did not make use of this great opportunity to draft a democratic constitution and even regressed from the symbolic steps they had taken".

"WE DO NOT WANT TO BE A PART OF THE DECEIT"

Ersanlı stated that the current consitution could not be 'patched' any further and she said "government came up with a new consitution that also includes some patches on the issues that are not even the fundemental problems of the society today. Overall, its the same anti-democratic constitution".

Ersanlı indicated that the mentality that obstructs democratic representation and promotes the election quote, which supresses the will of the people, is not the agent of democratization. She also said that under these conditions, either a yes or no vote would only legitimize the current constitution, and would weaken the public demand for a new constitution. " We do not want to be part of the deceit by voting for the status-quo, which is only cosmetically different" continued Ersanlı.

She ended her speech with call for boycott: " We invite all who believe in freedom, who support the laborers and the opressed, to fight for a new, participatory constitution. We invite you to make the opposition's voice loud in the referendum for a new constitution".

Here are some of the intellectuls' opinions on the referendun:

Journalist-writer Ertuğrul Kürkçü: "We will continue our boycott movement with other political groups. The rally that will happen this Sunday will be the first of such actions. We should reach out to all parts of Turkey, in order to make the people's will heard. The real work will start on September 13th. We need to organize now for that day. If we can organize an effective boycott camp within the current polarized atmosphere, we can advance the opportunity for a new constitution".

Scholar Prof. Büşra Ersanlı: "The boycott shows that there is another option to the yes or no camps. These are 'imaginary' camps, and they're in perfect alliance with the capitalist markets. It is really important that we do not participate in the referendum  for a real democratic, egalitairan, and freedom-based new constitution. We will intensify our actions to meet this goal. We will continue our campaign and reach more people. We have our own opinions, demands, claims; we do not see anybody as our guardians".