Turkish Experts Praise the Draft of the New Constitution of Kazakhstan

Experts gathered in Ankara to discuss the constitutional reform in Kazakhstan. The meeting, held in the "Davos" format, was attended by the Ambassador of Kazakhstan to Türkiye, Yerkebulan Sapiyev; Professor Esma Özdaşlı, Director of the Gaspıralı Institute of Foreign Policy; Professor Hayri Keser from Akdeniz University; Betülay Himoğlu, lawyer and Deputy Director of the Turkish Institute of Law; Professor Ruhi Ersoy, Director of the Ahmet Cevad Turkic World Research Institute; and Professors Cemile Kınacı Baran, Levent Ersin Orallı, and Kadir Ertaç Çelik from Ankara Hacı Bayram Veli University.

Professor R. Ersoy noted that comprehensive reforms began in Kazakhstan following the election of Kassym-Jomart Tokayev as President, emphasizing that the current constitutional reform is a direct result of those efforts.

Constitutional law expert Professor H. Kesher touched upon the history of the concept of a constitution and provided insights into reforms in various countries. In this regard, he highlighted the "innovation" brought by the draft of Kazakhstan's new Constitution, particularly its preamble, which focuses on the values of statehood, harmony, culture, education, science and innovation.

Himoglu observed that the Constitution has been renewed by 84%, with strengthened articles concerning human rights and family values.

L.E. Oral expressed that the constitutional enshrinement of national values -language, culture, and family issues - signals Kazakhstan's entry into a new era.

C.K. Baran, K.E. Çelik, and E. Özdaşlı drew attention to the deep historical respect of the Kazakh people for their fundamental law, as seen in legal codes like "Zheti Zhargy." They also stated that the special attention paid by the Kazakh authorities to the environment and human rights in the new draft is evidence of a high level of democracy in the country.

Overall, the experts highly praised the draft of the new Constitution, calling Kazakhstan's move to adopt a new fundamental law in the current challenging times a very bold step.