UPDATE - Turkish president vows to boost judicial reform efforts

UPDATES WITH MORE REMARKS FROM ERDOGAN

ANKARA (AA) - The Turkish president on Wednesday pledged to step up the country’s judicial reform efforts.

"In the new judicial year, we'll accelerate our judicial reform efforts that will relieve both our justiciary organization and our nation," Recep Tayyip Erdogan told a ceremony in the capital Ankara.

The government has "rolled up" its sleeves for a new judicial package, he said at the event marking the opening of a new service building for the Supreme Court and the start of the 2021-2022 judicial year.

"Our friends will bring this new package on the parliament's agenda as soon as possible," the president added.

"Our reform strategy is based on our ideal for a free individual, a strong society, and a more democratic Turkey," he said.

On March 2, Erdogan announced a human rights plan, unveiling 11 principles set to be carried out in the course of two years.

It was designed as a "broad-based" plan to strengthen rights protections, individual freedoms and security, judicial independence, personal privacy, transparency, and property rights, as well as protect vulnerable groups and enhance administrative and social awareness of human rights.

***- New constitution

On a possible new constitution for Turkey, Erdogan said the country's Justice and Development (AK) Party plans to make public its draft in the first months of the next year.

***On similar efforts by opposition parties, he said that negotiating these drafts and forming a common text would be "a big win for Turkey."

***Earlier this year, Erdogan had urged all political parties in Turkey to participate in drafting a new constitution.

***Erdogan's call for a new civilian constitution has been backed by the Nationalist Movement Party (MHP), an ally of his Justice and Development (AK) Party under the People's Alliance. Turkey's current Constitution was drafted after a military coup in 1980.