Strongly critical of the Constitutional Court was its president Nationalist Action Party of Turkey, Devlet Bahtceli on the occasion of the conflict between the highest institutional body of the country’s Turkish judicial system and the Supreme Court of Appeal (Yargitay). As he said, the Constitutional Court should either be closed or restructured.

Speaking at the meeting of his party’s Parliamentary Group, President Erdogan’s government partner and leader of the nationalist Gray Wolves pressed for a revision of the Constitution, as sought by the government, citing the rulings of the Constitutional Court, which in recent years stood against in the political choices of the ruling “People’s Alliance”.

“Where there is a criminal, where there is a traitor who sows hatred against her Turkeywho betrays, who turns his gun against Turkey, who aims to disrupt national security, national unity and the spirit of brotherhood, he is rewarded by the Constitutional Court under the pretext of violating rights” claimed Bakhceli and argued that this is incompatible with the principles of Justice and Law.

He also said that the Constitutional Court it has emerged as an instrument against the nation and the state and raised two options: “Either the Constitutional Court should be closed, or it should be restructured.”

The crisis between Turkey’s two highest judicial bodies arose when the Constitutional Court ruled that there had been a violation of the rights of Turkish Workers’ Party MP Can Atalai. Atalai, 47, was sentenced to 18 years in prison last year, accused of trying to overthrow the government for his participation in the “Gezi Park” protests in 2013. In last May’s elections and while in prison, he was elected as an MP.

Not only did the Supreme Court of Appeal refuse to implement the Constitutional Court’s decision, but its prosecutor filed a petition against the Constitutional Court judges, arguing that their decision last month to release the MP was unconstitutional. Despite the decision of the Constitutional Court, Can Atalai remains in prison.

According to the country’s president, Recep Tayyip Erdogan, “no institution is above criticism”. Days ago, he argued that the Constitution is insufficient to resolve disputes over the powers of the supreme courts, a statement that is indicative of his determination to proceed with a constitutional review.

Mr. Erdogan maintains that the current 1982 Constitution is a product of General Evren’s coup, even though it has since been amended 19 times.