URGENT changes to the title deeds laws are to be presented to Parliament as part of a package of new reforms.
The ruling Justice and Development Party (AK Party) proposed the changes as part of constitutional amendments in a democratization package that is expected to introduce a number of significant reforms.
The main changes will see the amount of land that foreigners can buy will worked out on a district basis – ie Didim – instead of previosuly on a pronvince basis – such as Aydin.
They will be allowed to buy a total of one per cent of the available building land in the district where as previously it was half per cent of all the land in the province, which included mountains, rivers and agriculture land.
The suspension of Tapus, which came into force last week, was instigated by the Land Registry in a letter to all Title Deeds offices after a lawsuit challenged two elements of the Foreign Direct Investment Law in the Constitutional Court.
The changes were placed before the Cabinet of Ministers and it has emerged the changes will now be included in the package.
The package will also include the establishment of a political ethics commission. Laws concerning political campaign financing and the duties and authorities of deputies will be revamped.
It will introduce amendments to the law on political parties, the elections and electoral registries law, the property declaration law and the bribery and anti-corruption law.
Legal reforms concerning women and children that were originally planned for inclusion in a new constitution will be put into this package as constitutional amendments.
Opposition parties have already voiced their objections to many of the reforms that will be included in the package. Therefore, the AK Party has decided to make the amendments part of the 10th EU harmonization package.
While it will seek the backing of other political parties, the AK Party also understands that it might not be able to find this support, in which case, the package would be referred to public vote.
There are also expanded rights for children in the package. Provisions in the package will ensure that children have the right to express their opinions freely.
