Peace and Democracy Party (BDP) deputy co-chair Meral Danış Beştaş, Amed deputy Altan Tan and Batman deputy Bengi Yıldız issued a press conference at the head office of the party, in the Turkish capital Ankara, on Thursday.

The BDP members evaluated the works for the formation of a new constitution.

Speaking here, Meral Danış Beştaş pointed out that the deadlock in the constitutional works was a consequence of the provisions related with the Kurdish issue.

"We unfortunately see a unity against us when it comes to problems related with the identity of ethnic groups other than Turks. This is a very desperate scene. Debates on the mother tongue education issue lasted weeks and were led in a way that contradicts the life itself, international documents and the rights of the Kurdish people. These debates which agreed that there should be no mother tongue education in the country are now continuing with debates on citizenship", Beştaş said.

Reminding that Turkish Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdoğan and CHP (Republican People's Party) leader Kemal Kılıçdaroğlu openly voiced their objections against mother tongue education, Beştaş noted that the BDP would still be taking part in the ongoing constitutional works, and not leave the matter to other three parties alone.

Beştaş called on Kurdish deputies in other parties to raise objection against their parties' attitude towards the matter of mother tongue education.

BDP deputy co-chair criticized the silence of universities in the process of preparing a new constitution which -she underlined- also required academic and scientific contribution by professors of constitution and academicians.

Beştaş, remarking that they will not allow the maintenance of the 82's constitution with light make-ups, added that "Those who chant slogans on streets defending human dignity are displaying here an attitude against the UN Convention against Racial Discrimination".

Speaking after, Amed deputy Altan Tan reminded that all parties, that of PM Erdoğan in particular, had promised to issue a new constitution until the elections.

Tan said CHP and MHP are today still insisting not to abandon their secularist and nation-statist mindset, while the AKP government intended to delay the new constitution until after the three elections lying ahead of Turkey. Tan noted that the government has not presented the constitution package to the parliament yet despite having promised to do so in the event of the failure of reconciliation. The new constitution has virtually been postponed to an unknown date, Tan underlined.

Referring to media reports that 'the constitution commission reached a consensus on 48provisions', Tan pointed out that none of the agreed provisions promised to offer a new perspective to change the kemalist paradigm. BDP deputy remarked that the commission has reached no consensus on the initial provisions of the constitution nor the major provisions such as mother tongue education, the status of local administrations, presidential government and religion-state affairs.

Tan said the PM should present the text of democratic constitution to the parliament considering the numerical majority of his party members, adding that the BDP and some members of the CHP would support and stand by a democratic constitution.

Tan also called on Kurdish deputies of other parties to stand up and to demand their rights.

Batman deputy Bengi Yıldız said that the Erdoğan's approach towards the constitution process was related with his calculations of the votes he will receive in the elections. Yıldız noted that the dominant approach towards the matters of mother tongue education, local administrations and citizenship was much more conservative than that displayed in the past.