Toptan: "I don't mean the constitutional court's powers should be stripped and given to a senate"

Parliament Speaker Koksal Toptan yesterday said that he didn't understand the criticism of his suggestions for a new constitution and a bicameral parliament in the wake of a Constitutional Court ruling upholding the headscarf ban at universities. Speaking to reporters on the sidelines of a Black Sea Economic Cooperation (BSEC) meeting in Athens, Toptan commented that many European countries have bicameral legislatures, saying, "In my opinion, senates can act as filters on constitutional courts by preventing too much paperwork. Some academics interpreted my argument as saying the Constitutional Court would be stripped of its functions, which is baseless." He added, "I didn't mean that the Constitutional Court's powers should be restricted and given to a senate." Meeting with his Greek counterpart Dimitrios Sioufas, Toptan expressed condolences over an earthquake which hit Greece two days ago. Toptan also held talks with ethnic Turkish deputies representing Greece's Western Thrace region.