Press Statement - 22nd of February 2021

Dear Europeans,

I am grateful that you have elected me as your Commissioner. I am glad that my extensive campaign has worked throughout Europe. I have already gotten to work as your new Commissioner, I start my job with a sunk heart as I receive the news from my homeland breaking up into pieces. The system that Alkharya has been subjected to was broken for centuries, and the cracks are now showing even more. I hope that I can bring better days to my nation and better days in Europe.

For that, I am going to slowly roll out the promises I've made in my rallies. At the end of my four-month term, I will do, or attempt to do, the following:

• Adjust the budget of Eurorail to ensure no money is taken from non-participating countries
• Combat misinformation by adding a fact-check feature on the European Commission app
• Establish at least one summit in my term
• Ensure that Alkharyan turmoil does not spillover to nearby countries
• If possible, ensure a negotiation table with the Union of Syndicates after the terror settles down

I hope that I can bring substantial change to European Union during my term.

Take care,

Münevver Birdane
Internal Affairs Commissioner of the European Union

TABLE OF CONTENTS

1 - FACT SUMMARY
2 - LARGEST CITIES
3 - ADMINISTRATIVE DIVISIONS
4 - LEGISLATIVE BRANCH
5 - EXECUTIVE BRANCH
6 - JUDICIARY BRANCH
7 - IMPEACHMENT PROCESS
8 - HISTORY
9 - IMPORTANT LEGISLATION
10 - EDUCATION

Please note that the factbook at the moment is outdated. It will be updated in the future, but in the meantime, check out the Alkharyan media for the latest news!

Breaking News: Aylin Gökçen has been withdrawn from the European Council by the government

Reasons for the departure is currently unknown.

ONE - A strange and shocking order has been issued by the Alkharyan government this afternoon, which withdrew the current councillor, Aylin Gökçen off Europolis. The order was issued this afternoon with the entire cabinet signing the order. The document declared that there will be no councillor for Alkharya until the special election at a future date and it demands Gökçen to come back to Alkharya within 72 hours.

Aylin Gökçen was elected as a councillor in September 2020 elections, narrowly beating the centre-right populist candidate Baykur Viron, she started as a councillor on October 14th that year. During her unexpectedly short career, Aylin Gökçen immediately stuck out like a sore thumb, for lack of a better term with her brazen and blunt attitude. She made a repeal bill on the Elected and Accountable Council Act (EACA), which narrowly failed. She submitted Protection of Body Integrity for Children and Intersex People Act, later withdrawn due to Austrian shenanigans, which caused backlash over the banning of male circumcision, which is a sensitive topic for religious people.

More recently, she ran for the Speaker and Deputy Speaker elections but failed to get a position.

The reason for the withdrawal is currently unknown. Neither Elçi nor Gökçen nor any other government source have made any statements regarding the removal. We will give you the latest updates regarding this situation.

The Bergen Climate Change Conference (Norwegian: Bergen klimaendringskonferanse) is a conference for the negotiation and discussion of the Bergen Agreement. The conference will be held in Bergen, Mennrimiak. The conference is hosted by Internal Affairs Commissioner Münevver Birdane of Alkharya. All member states of the European Union are invited. Former Internal Affairs Commissioner Jean-Claude Juncker of Spain will be present as a special guest.

(OOC: You can make your arrivals until May 25th, 2021. Please try to be on time as much as possible. Thank you.)

FACT SUMMARY

Official country name: Alkharya (informally Alkarya)
Pronounciation: aɫkʰaɾja̟ (listen)
Denonym: Alkharyan (noun & adjective)
Country codes: AK, AKR
Top level domain: .ak
Drives on the: right
Time zone: UTC, no DST
Date format: DD-MM-YYYY or MM-DD-YYYY
Power plug type: Type C, E and F
Calling code: +90
National motto: WIP
National anthem: WIP
National colours: Blue, white and red

Capital city: Kaanpaşa (de facto)
Government type: Presidential federal republic
Legislature branch: Kurultay (unicameral)
Executive branch: President and their cabinet
Judicial branch: Yargıtay
Head of State and Government: Başkan Tülay Elçi
European Councillor: Aylin Gökçen

Population: 34,2 million (2020 census)
Life expectancy: 82 years average, 85 years for females and 79 years for males.
Literacy rate (aged 14 and over): 99,8%
Official language: None (de jure), Turkish (de facto)
Ethnicity: 98% Alkharyan Turkic, 2% other
Religion: 39.3% atheist, 33.9% apatheist, 1,1% witchcraft, 0.1% other, 25.6% did not state or unknown
Age of majority: 18
Suffrage: 16 to 65; universal
Term limits: All political offices are subject to limits of three terms of two years in a span of twenty years.

National currency: Nil (₦ or N)
Exchange rate: 1 € = 1,09 ₦
GDP: 559 billion €
GDP per capita: 16,276 €
Average salary: 15,265 €
Unemployment rate: 3,9%
Agriculture: WIP
Manufacturing: WIP
Economy by sector: 58% services, 21% tourism, 13% industrial, 4% other
Electricity production: 45% wind, 39% solar, 11% hydroelectric, 6% other
Major exports: WIP
Major imports: WIP
Major trade partners: WIP

Location: Located near Central Europe, south of Fremet and Icholasen and northwest of Spain.
Terrain and landscape: Mostly flatlands and hills, most mountainous at the centre of Mainland Alkharya.
Highest point: Mt. Önal, Atlıkarınca Region (3244 meters)
Lowest point: Sea level (0 meters)
Climate: Mediterranean warm/cool summer climate. All four seasons are experienced.
Average daily high: 19.6 °C
Average daily low: 10.7 °C
Record high: 41 °C, Geyikli Region, July 1962
Record low: -17 °C, Yeditepe Region, December 1989
Average annual precipitation: 1046 mm per year

Dörtköşe - "We cannot lose more lives," says President Elçi

The motivation message comes after the Northern separation

The Alkharyan unity, which lasted for more than two centuries, seems to be over for now as the North declares itself a realm free from the rest of Alkharya. The abrupt chaos comes from the departure of Aylin Gökçen as a councillor of Alkharya. Aylin Gökçen, which has been a politician for the region of Alfur for years had won the councillor elections of September 2020. She was called back by the Alkharyan Government. While no actual reason was given on the callback document, many believe that it's because of disagreements between Gökçen and Elçi.

Well, it appears that these disagreements came at a considerable price. The vast protests all around Northern Alkharya have escalated into insurgence. The final nail in the coffin was 2/5 of the military escaping to fight alongside the North, which made every citizen on the country suffers, as supplies (which were promised by the government itself) got delayed and emergency services were unreachable in most areas. Evacuations were made to make sure the hysteria didn't spread, as it was too late, it seems like. The Northern militia hijacked channel ONE and decided to release a final message, saying they have chosen their own destiny. They also hinted at a referendum in early March, though its legitimacy is heavily questioned.

Surprisingly enough, Kaanpaşa stayed mostly silent to Northern separation, for reasons unknown... Until now. President Tülay Elçi gave her first speech after all these incidents yesterday, which might show the reason why they have stayed silent all this time.

"Dear Alkharyans, the experience that we're going through is traumatic, tragedic and is certainly one of the lowest points in Alkharya in the 21st century. I have made the decision to kick Aylin Gökçen out of the Council for mere incompetence and provocation. This decision of mine has resulted in protests intensifying into insurgence and an illegitimate rogue state on our mainland. Just to be clear, we will not be recognizing the so-called realm. We will not give these terrorists what they want. However, we cannot immediately go into attack mode. We have to prepare. We cannot lose more lives. I promise you that we will return to normal better than ever. This was a small dent in Alkharya's success. We got this."

This was Erin Karagül, writing for Dörtköşe.

Aylin Gökçen found dead, investigators predict murder

Aylin Gökçen, former councillor of Alkharya from October 2020 to February 2021, was found dead by a bicyclist today near the Gallorum-Europolis border. The body was found in a black bag near a tree. Reporters say Gökçen had not been seen in Europolis after Monday.

"So I was biking through the border like I always do and I decided to stop for something, and I saw something odd-looking there, near the tree and, you know, I'm a curious person, so I
come closer, and whatever was there was smelling real bad, and I was certain it was a body bag, so I call the police! And turns out it was a body! Apparently an important politician, too. Europe is going crazy, I tell you!" The biker told a reporter.

Investigators are mostly certain the case was a murder, but the body will still be delivered to a morgue for an autopsy, as well as a thorough examination to help with the ongoing police investigation.

President Tülay Elçi shared her condolences. "I offer them my thoughts, prayers and well-wishes during this dark time in her close ones' lives. No one deserves death", she said at a press conference.

We will update you with the latest information regarding this incident.

Press Statement - April 2nd, 2021

Dear Europeans,

I am happy to announce that negotiations between Caspian states, organized by me, have been successful. We have agreed on The Caspian Treaty, which will establish a council of states, hopefully resolving all conflicts in the future. The treaty is as follows:

PREAMBLE

We, the Caspian nations and the European Commission, wishing to achieve our aim to restore the Caspian political situation to its previous peaceful and friendly one, agree with the following terms:

SECTION I – THE CASPIAN SEA AUTHORITY

I. The founding members of the Caspian Sea Authority will be the Kingdom of Reitzmag, the United Duchies, the Kingdom of Pravoslaviya, and the Confederacy of North Diessen.
a. The Autonomous Territory of Copala City will be admitted to the Caspian Sea Authority as an observer state.
b. The Caspian Sea Authority’s activities shall be funded by annual contributions from its members, set proportional to their Gross Domestic Product.
c. The Caspian Sea Authority’s budget shall be set annually by a majority vote of the Caspian Council.
d. The Caspian Sea Authority shall have a secretariat, to be located in a city to be determined by a majority vote of the Caspian Council.

II. Any other sovereign state with a coastline on the Caspian Sea is entitled to become a member of the Caspian Sea Authority.

III. Every member of the Caspian Sea Authority is entitled to one vote on the Caspian Council, which shall be the governing body of the Caspian Sea Authority.

IV. The Caspian Sea Authority recognises that each member is entitled to 24 nautical miles of territorial waters from their contiguous coastline, and 200 nautical miles of Exclusive Economic Zone (EEZ).
a. Each member has within its EEZ exclusive economic rights over the exploration and exploitation of marine resources, including, but not limited to, fisheries, mining, drilling for oil or gas, and renewable energy sources.
b. Each member may sell some or all of its economic rights in its EEZ to other entities.
c. EEZs are not part of the member’s territory, and no member has the right to construct artificial islands, or conduct any business outside their proper economic rights, in their EEZ without the unanimous prior approval of the Caspian Council.

V. In the event of overlapping claims to territorial waters or EEZs according to Section I, Clause IV of this agreement, the equidistance principle and the natural prolongation principle shall apply.
a. Members may decide by bilateral or multilateral treaty to amend the maritime boundaries between them.
b. In the event of any disputes between members over their maritime boundaries that cannot be resolved bilaterally, the Caspian Council shall by majority vote adjudicate on the dispute.
c. The Caspian Council will have respect to the equidistance principle and the natural prolongation principle in its adjudications on maritime boundaries.

VI. The Caspian Sea Authority is responsible for oversight of the non-territorial waters of the Caspian Sea.
a. The Caspian Sea Authority shall not hinder the following activities of its members in the non-territorial waters of the Caspian Sea:
i. Trade, shipping, and commerce
ii. Public transport
iii. Border security
iv. Search and rescue
v. Routine naval exercises
b. The Caspian Sea Authority shall, by a majority vote of the Caspian Council, set policies relating to fishing, mining, drilling for oil and gas, renewable energy generation, and other forms of economic activity in the non-territorial waters of the Caspian Sea that do not belong to a member’s EEZ.
c. The Caspian Sea Authority shall be responsible for air and sea traffic management in the non-territorial waters of the Caspian Sea.

VII. No country may construct artificial islands beyond their territorial waters without the unanimous prior approval of the Caspian Council.
a. No offshore naval bases or permanent military installations shall be constructed in the non-territorial waters of the Caspian Sea.

VIII. The Caspian Sea Authority shall, where appropriate, commission environmental impact reports to assist it in its responsibilities.

IX. Military vessels belonging to countries without a coastline on the Caspian Sea that enter the Caspian Sea may not travel outside the territorial waters of the United Duchies, or any country whose coastline on the Caspian Sea borders that of the United Duchies, except for humanitarian purposes.
The Caspian Sea Authority may, by a unanimous vote of the Caspian Council, choose to grant certain countries or specific vessels further naval access to the Caspian Sea.

X. The United Duchies will guarantee access to the Baltic Canal to civilian vessels from, or carrying goods to or from, all countries with a coastline on the Caspian Sea, subject to tolls.
The United Duchies may restrict certain goods from being transported through the Baltic Canal for the following reasons only:
Reason to believe the goods will be used for military purposes;
Reason to believe the goods will be used for criminal activity;
Biosecurity;
Health and safety.

The United Duchies reserves the right to regulate the size of vessels transiting through the Baltic Canal and to deny entry to vessels that it deems to be overloaded or not seaworthy.
The United Duchies reserves the right to police the Baltic Canal to prevent illegal or unauthorised military activity or to deny access to the Baltic Canal for civilian trade involving countries that have been subject to sanctions by a vote of the European Council or involving countries that do not have a coastline on the Caspian Sea and have been subject to sanctions by the United Duchies.
If a member of the Caspian Sea Authority believes that the United Duchies is restricting trade beyond what is permitted in subclauses (a), (b), and (c), and is unable to resolve this dispute with the United Duchies bilaterally, then the Caspian Council may adjudicate by a majority vote.

SECTION II – ISLANDS

I. The islands constructed by the Kingdom of Reitzmag in the Caspian Sea beyond its territorial waters as determined in Section I, Clause IV of this agreement (hereafter, ‘the islands’) will be destroyed by the European Commission in an environmentally friendly manner, aimed at restoring as much as possible the biosphere before construction of the islands commenced.
II. When the islands are destroyed, any sand or other building material that is reclaimed shall be returned to the Kingdom of Reitzmag.
The Kingdom of Reitzmag may identify and prepare an area along its coastline for any such materials to be deposited. If it does not do this before demolition work commences, then the party responsible for destroying the islands shall proceed regardless, and deposit the materials at a location of its choosing.
III. After the islands are destroyed, the Caspian Sea Authority shall periodically review the ecological situation in the area for the next five years.

I would like to thank John Peter Key of the United Duchies, Metodi Pravoslav of Pravoslaviya, Victoria Romanov of Copala City, İnge Pekcan of North Diessen and Simon Bridges of Reitzmag for their cooperation.

Münevver Birdane
Internal Affairs Commissioner of the European Union

LARGEST CITIES

ADMINISTRATIVE DIVISIONS

GENERAL REGIONS

Historically, Alkharya is divided into four. Click me to see how it's divided.

• Northern Alkharya (Alfur, Atlıkarınca, Geyikli and Leylekhan) - Home of antique buildings and colourful environment, Northern Alkharya offers extensive natural wonders, hospitality, arts and crafts and a carefree environment. The second powerhouse after Kaanpaşa, Alderik, an important port city, resides here.

• Southern Alkharya (Barbaros, Etikel, İskender, Kaanpaşa and Yeditepe) - Home of the Alkharyan industrialization and modern-day Alkharyan state, Southern Alkharya has a lot to offer. You will get easily lost between long, five-star beaches of Barbaros, extensive urbanization of Kaanpaşa and technological advancements in Etikel.

NOTE: Northern Alkharya and Southern Alkharya may be grouped as one, named Mainland Alkharya or Great Alkharya.

• Levent (or Levent Island) (Açelya, Levent) - *This place is infamous for its year-long cloudy weather, weird accents and its troubled past. Formerly named Bulut Island (lit. "Cloud Island") the name was reverted back to Levent Island for the whole island on December 2nd, 2020.

• Limon Islands (or Twin Islands) - The smallest region of Alkharya by area and population, consisting of Kent and Teodor Island, takes its name from its famous lemon trees. They are sometimes called The Twin Islands because of their similar culture.

REGIONS

Alkharya is divided into twelve regions, which have the autonomy to legislate and execute laws on their own. Similar to the president, regions have governors, chosen by Kurultay.

Açelya Region: Located in the western half of the Levent, this region was created by splitting the former region of Levent in half. Notable cities and towns are Açelya in the southwest, where the region gets its name from, and Menteşe in the far north.

Alfur Region: Northernmost region of Alkharya, located in the northwest corner. Home to second-largest city, Alderik, which is an important port city of Alkharya and is considered to be the epicentre of Northern Alkharya. The southern portion of the region holds the second-largest city in the region, Alfur.

Atlıkarınca Region: Most rural region of Northern Alkharya, second-most rural region of Alkharya after Yeditepe. Most famous for its lavender, mint and olives. The region gets its name from the city of Atlıkarınca, the most notable city, along with Mazlumköy.

Barbaros Region: Urbanized and industrialized, infamous for its busy life. The region that never sleeps, because they're too busy competing with Kaanpaşa. Barbaros, Kızılova and Yeşilova are the big shots, both in the region and in the nation.

Etikel Region: A region in the west of Southern Alkharya, this region is renowned for its technology companies and advancement. It is the most industrialized and educated region in all of Alkharya. The region is also famous for its classical music. The region gets its name from the city of Etikel, the most notable city in the region.

Geyikli Region: This region on the east coast is considered a mix between the South and the North, though it's considered a part of Northern Alkharya. Famous for its berries. Notable cities and towns include Geyikli and Yaylakent further north.

İskender Region: Least populated region in Mainland Alkharya. Famous for its fishing industry. İskender in the centre of the region and Yakut on the coast are the most notable cities.

Kaanpaşa Region: All eyes are on here, no matter which region you are. Aside from Kaanpaşa, which surrounds the capital and has the most important port of Alkharya, Poyraz and Morgül are also important cities in the region.

Kaanpaşa Federal Başkent Bölgesi (Kaanpaşa, Federal Capital Region): Where the legislative institution of Alkharya, Kurultay, resides. Sometimes shortly called Federal Capital Region or Federal Region.

Levent Region: The other region that was created from the separation of the former Levent region. The second least populated region after Lemon Islands and the easternmost region of Alkharya, it is quite popular among the ones who want to have an uninterrupted, relaxing vacation. Mert and Levent are the two biggest towns in the region.

Leylekhan Region: This region is famous for its abstract art and music scene. The name means "House of Seagulls" in Turkish. It holds Leylek Festival, the biggest music festival in all of Alkharya. The only notable city is Leylekhan and the rest of the region is filled with farms, forests and small villages.

Limon Adaları (Lemon Islands) or İkiz Adalar (Twin Islands): The smallest region of Alkharya by area and population, consisting of Kent and Teodor Island, takes its name from its famous lemon trees. They are sometimes called The Twin Islands because of their similar culture. Kent is the most populous town in the region and holds half of the region's population.

Yeditepe Region: This region holds the highest mountain in Alkharya, Mt. Önal. It's mostly mountainous, except on the coast. It borders six other regions, the most out of any. The most rural region in Alkharya. Similar to Geyikli, it is a mix of the South and the North, with the coast being more North influenced, though it's a part of Southern Alkharya.

YARGITAY RULES BARBAROS' TAX TRANSPARENCY LAWS UNCONSTITUTIONAL AND "A DANGEROUS BREACH TO PRIVACY"

Governor of Barbaros has resigned over the controversy.

Showtime - This afternoon, Yargıtay ruled Barbaros' tax transparency laws are unconstitutional, as they are a direct violation of the right to privacy. The laws in question make it so that any EU citizen can see the tax returns without any requirements. According to the decision, while having a public tax database is not against the right to privacy, the court has ruled that publishing this database outside Alkharya is. In addition, the Government of Barbaros has also been repeatedly accused of not informing people who have checked their tax returns and has been sued multiple times.

7 of 11 judges who were able to vote, from the regions of Kaanpaşa, Geyikli, Açelya, Levent, Leylekhan, Alfur and Atlıkarınca have voted for the law's repeal or changes to the law in accordance with the Constitution.

Governor of Barbaros, Ilgın Erbakan has resigned over the controversy. She will be replaced by another election in the Barbaros regional parliament sometime next week. The other two regions with public tax laws, Etikel is expected to adjust their laws in accordance with the lawsuit.

IMPEACHMENT PROCESS

Any member in a parliament (regional, provincial or Kurultay) can be impeached. There are two ways to start voting on the impeachment of a parliament member: Another member of the parliament starts an impeachment voting, or a petition has gathered a significant amount of signs to start an impeachment voting. In order for a petition to trigger the impeachment vote:

In provincial parliament: 2/5 of the province population or 1/10 of every county's population in the province
In regional parliament: 2/5 of the region population or 1/10 of every province's population in the region
In Kurultay: 2/5 of the country's population, 1/10 of every region's population or 2/5 of the population of the region the parliament member that will be impeached comes from.

After an impeachment voting is triggered in the respective parliament, a 72-hour debate session is started before the voting. There are four reasons someone can be impeached: Treason, bribery, high crimes and misdemeanours or violation of the Constitution. If voting succeeds, the impeachment decision gets approved by a higher group. This higher group changes, depending on the parliament or the reason a parliament member is impeached for:

In provincial and regional parliament: Governor of the region approves the vote.
In Kurultay: President approves the vote.
If a parliament member is accused of the violation of the Constitution: Yargıtay approves the vote, no matter which parliament has had the impeachment voting. Only Yargıtay can reject an impeach voting.

The president has the power to impeach any minister, but it can also be impeached itself. A president can be requested to be impeached by Kurultay or the Yargıtay.

If the president is requested to be impeached by the Yargıtay
The Yargıtay can only request impeachment in case of blatant violation of the constitution. The Yargıtay must give evidence beyond a reasonable doubt to request an impeachment. At least 2/3 of the judges must approve the request in order for impeachment.

If the president is requested to be impeached by Kurultay
To trigger an impeachment voting of the president, 1/3 of Kurultay shall sign a petition requesting voting. Kurultay can request impeachment in case of treason, bribery and other high crimes and misdemeanours. In order for the impeachment to be approved, it must be approved by at least 3/5 of Kurultay.

SÖZ - Violent protests against the departure of councillor continue all across Alkharya

The protests came in response to Councillor Aylin Gökçen's calls on Twitter to save Alkharyan democracy.

• Councillor Aylin Gökçen was recalled from Europolis in an unexpected move by the government
• Gökçen took it to Twitter, claiming the withdrawal was illegitimate and an attack on Alkharyan democracy and called for protests
• Independent sources claim that almost ten million people all around the nation have participated in the protests

Something quite strange happened on February 16th, when the Alkharyan Government publicly released an order to withdraw the 1st Councillor of Alkharya, Aylin Gökçen. They gave her 72 hours to come back to Alkharya. There was no reason given in the document, but all of the cabinet signed it. Nobody was sure why it existed, or what happened. What could've Gökçen done? She certainly wasn't the most loved in the Council, but that can't be a reason for getting withdrawn.

Whatever the reason may be, Gökçen was livid. She immediately took to Twitter, saying that she would not come to Alkharya until there was a valid reason for her to come. She claimed that this was a clear attack on Alkharyan democracy. She called in for protests all around Alkharya.

Her calls have been widely successful, especially in the Northern Alkharya. In Alfur alone, independent sources claim that around three million people have participated in the protests, which were observed in all twelve regions of Alkharya. "Democracy now!" protesters called, condemning the departure. The protests were not peaceful, as most Alkharyans do not believe in peaceful protests. Buildings burned, shops destroyed and looted... This was when the police had to step in, and they did: Almost one hundred and fifty thousand people were arrested in the first two days, three-quarters of which were released shortly after.

"Of course the Southern president wants to oppress the North!" One woman told ONE interviewer. "They're always like this. From generation to generation, cannot wait to annex us and our liberty! Demons!" She then proceeded to throw a gas bomb at police all by her bare hands.

"We cannot trust the government anymore!" Another protester told the same interviewer. "If they're going to just decide our decisions are invalid like that... They can't do that! I'll beat them!"

Police brutality has also been visible in the protests. Many photos from protesters getting affected by gas bombs and rubber bullets have been made public, even in the regions where both of those items are illegal. It is unknown how many people have gotten injured at this time.

Protests against the government continue, and it seems like they will continue until President Elçi withdraws the departure. Some people have reported sights of the military in the streets, possibly to deploy against the protests. What will happen after these protests remain unclear.

This was Gür Yaman, writing for Söz.

Background

On 26th of December, Alkharyan citizens of voting age (63% of the population, or 21,5 million) will vote on a referendum which proposes presidential elections by public vote.
In the current system, the president is chosen by Kurultay, the national parliament of Alkharya. Three to seven Kurultay members declare candidacy, and the one with the most votes from other Kurultay members wins the presidency. If the referendum passes, the presidency will be chosen by a public vote, while the candidates will still be chosen from Kurultay. The votes will be announced on the evening of 27th of December.

For this referendum, Kaanpaşa Region and Kaanpaşa Federal Capital Region are counted as one region, as the referendum was approved by Kurultay before the partition.

News articles

• Constitutional referendum waiting approval to be held on 26th of December, presidential elections are on the table - ART, November 12th, 2020.
• President Elçi approves the constitutional referendum - ART, November 17th, 2020.
• A Little Talk With Aylin Gökçen - Councillor Aylin Gökçen gives her opinions about the referendum, ONE Radyo, December 9th, 2020.

What to expect

• The turnout is expected to be around 60% or 12,9 million of eligible voters.
• Regions of Alfur and Kaanpaşa are expected to have the highest turnouts in the referendum.
• It is predicted that Northern Alkharya will heavily oppose the proposal, especially the region of Alfur, while it is predicted for Southern Alkharya to show massive support.
• The Twin Islands and Levent will also show support, many polls predict.
• Some experts fear that this referendum, regardless of its success, might be "a spark for a greater future conflict"

Coverage

All media in Alkharya (with few exceptions) are expected to broadcast the results. This thread will focus on the coverage of ART (Alkharya Radio and Television), the public broadcaster of Alkharya.

Results

Laçin Kayıhan is the lawyer representing Alkharya.

I would like to mention that missionary activities are defined by the Alkharyan law as:

"Teaching of religion or any similar sort of beliefs as a representative of a religious organization, be it a church, an NGO or any other institution, with the goal of converting a person to the religion said institution adheres to."

It is, at most, a stretch to say that this law breaks the Constitution of the European Union. Missionaries are not banned, but rather regulated to ensure fair and unbiased religious education. The Alkharyan Government is rather concerned about the fact that many churches use irreligious Alkharyans, most of which are clueless about religion, as a way to spread their religious ideology.

There are hundreds of missionaries approved by the Alkharyan Government ever since the passing of this law in October, which means that religious education is not banned. It is untruthful to say otherwise. These missionaries have to go independent, without the sponsor of any institution because the government believes that it is nearly impossible to have unbiased education when it is a religious organization behind it. The church's beliefs are quite irrelevant when we look at the goal and what the Alkharyan Government is trying to achieve here.

LEGISLATIVE BRANCH

The legislative branch of the government is in Kaanpaşa. It is a unicameral system. The single parliament, Yargıtay, runs in an entirely non-partisan way. Any members of the parliament have the full right to write bills and submit them up for voting in the parliament. If a bill passes from the parliament with...

...approval from MORE than two-thirds of the parliament
The president cannot directly veto the bill but can make amendments and re-send it to the parliament. Then, the parliament has to vote on amendments. After that, the president can either accept the bill in its final form and make it official law or call in a referendum.

...approval from LESS than two-thirds of the parliament
The president can directly turn back the bill without amending it or can make amendments and re-send it to the parliament. Members of the parliament can make amendments or change the bill or reject the veto, in which they can start voting again. Amended and/or changed bills go through the exact process the original bills do.

The president can only re-send a bill three times. On the fourth time, the president can either accept the bill in its final form and make it official law, or call in a referendum, but cannot re-send it back to the parliament.

Referendums are the final say on laws, where people vote whether they want the bill to become the law or not. Neither the president nor parliament can go against a referendum unless the Yargıtay rules it illegitimate and demands a re-vote.

A bill can only be passed once a year by the same member of the parliament.

Elections for the parliament are done every two years, with each region having three members and three members more per 1,000,000 people. The candidates for the parliamentary election are chosen by regional parliaments, whose members are chosen by provincial parliaments. Each province has six members in the regional parliament.

Members for the provincial parliament are chosen along with the parliamentary election. The candidates of the members of the parliaments of provincial parliament are chosen by the provincial governor, regional governor and regional high court.

There are currently 126 seats in Kurultay as of the 2020 census.

PRESIDENT TÜLAY ELÇİ ON EASTERN HAANE: "THERE IS NO REASON TO INTERVENE"

President Tülay Elçi gave a speech in the city of Leylekhan this afternoon.

ONE - Good evening, Alkharyans. I am Ece Üzümcü and you are now watching the evening news on ONE, the finest news network in Northern Alkharya. President Tülay Elçi gave a speech in the city of Leylekhan this afternoon to cover many incidents that have happened across Alkharya. There is also rising tension in the European Council after our councillor Aylin Gökçen submitted a repeal for the Elected and Accountable Council Act. I am now with Kerem Öktem and Evren Bora Derin to discuss the words of Tülay Elçi. Gentlemen, let's start with the first point: Our missionary ban. It's back after it was unbanned for thirteen years, right after we joined the European Union. Tülay Elçi said that she approved the ban, saying that it was an exploited part of the Alkharyan government. Should they remain banned?

Kerem Öktem: Oh, absolutely. It was, uh, a grave mistake that the government has done to make itself seem friendly to everything, even religions, which is a complete 180 from our history. The era between 2002-2007 was a really controversial era that gets its controversies mainly because of the way religious freedom was handled in the country. Sure, we absolutely need to question the way we handle religious people in today's society and xenophobia is absolutely a problem, we shouldn't have responded with, uh, how can I put this... Giving the believers absolute freedom on influencing Alkharyans and putting them into existential crises?

Evren Bora Derin: I agree with you there. The government has gone way too quick. Many Alkharyans didn't have exposure to other religions back then, some still don't. The number of believers has certainly gone up since 2002, for sure, but back in 2002, believers didn't even make up half a per cent. And it might be even less considering anyone who wasn't apatheist or atheist was simply referred to as "other beliefs" and they still are, which I feel should be changed.

Ece Üzümcü: Thank you, both of you. Now, if you were to ask my opinion, I don't agree with a total ban. I agree that we should regulate missionaries and their actions more, but I feel like the government has bit more than they can chew and now the Kurultay tries to please the people with this ban. Now, onto the second point: Eastern Haane. One of the journalists asked if Alkharya would intervene in the conflict, and she answered, and I quote: "There is no reason to intervene. I'm not sure why this is even a question. Other member states are handling the situation well and I'm sure they don't need Alkharya's assistance." Now, personally, I don't see why would we even bother to enter this conflict, so I agree with Tülay Elçi there. What do you think, Mr Derin?

Evren Bora Derin: I agree with her. I mean, the conflict has mostly been resolved to my knowledge and I really do not see why would Alkharya intervene in Eastern Haane. There is no point.

Kerem Öktem: Yeah, I think we all agree that it's not necessary for us to intervene.

Ece Üzümcü: Sure thing. The next point was about the European Council. Now, for those unaware, Councillor Aylin Gökçen has submitted a repeal voting for the Elected and Accountable Council Act. Her reasoning was that the Act limited member states' choices for no reason apart from pleasing the European Union and it's meaning of democracy, which was hypocritical considering European Union allowed literal dictatorships like Noctoria to enter and stay for months until their leaving, which Gökçen referred to as... "purged off"? Odd. So, the President was also questioned about this, and she said she would like to "estabilish a procedure compatible with Alkharyan law and the Acquis Communautaire". Do you think that the Elected and Accountable Council Act should be repealed?

Kerem Öktem: See, this is all about different interpretations of the law. I cannot say that either Firoux or Gökçen is correct- They both have valid points on their own rights. Councillor Gökçen thinks that since the people choose their own governments, they trust the government enough to choose the procedure for councillor selection. Councillor Firoux, however, disagrees, says that to hold European Council accountable, all councillors should be elected in a democratic way.

Evren Bora Derin: There's also the fact that the whole Act may very well be unconstitutional, as pointed out by Acwellan Devoy.

Kerem Öktem: Again, it all comes down to differing definitions. Devoy believes a member state is not defined by its population, while Firoux believes that a member state is a sovereign body composed of people. We need to eliminate these conflicts and vague definitions first if we want to get somewhere.

Ece Üzümcü: I believe that all member states should be free on choosing their councillors however they please.

Evren Bora Derin: I sense a trust deficit- that the EU simply does not trust its members enough to choose good councillors.

Kerem Öktem: Okay, but this Act was estabilished to respond to anti-EU skeptics since they have always criticized the EU for having corrupt politicians. I definitely think there are flaws in it, like prohibiting term limits, which is essential in Alkharyan political system, but you also cannot deny that there has been many councillors in those seats that influenced the EU politics for the long-term. I disagree with Councillor Gökçen that we should totally repeal it- I think it should be amended ideally to please all sides. Democracy is essential to the European Union, after all.

Evren Bora Derin: What in the world? The councillor position is just as important as presidency- if not more important. You're a part of a body that enacts laws on numerous countries. Our president can't do that! And the people don't choose the president, Kurultay does so they can choose the most reliable president out of the parliament. If Kurultay can do that, they can elect our councillor, too.

Kerem Öktem: Yes, please tell us how to make the Alkharyan democracy that is already flawed, more flawed than usual.

Evren Bora Derin: If it isn't broke, don't fix it, is all I'm saying!

Kerem Öktem: It IS broke. The system is working for the few educated elite and it is incredibly rare for a normal person to get a government job. How is that democracy?

Ece Üzümcü: Okay. Thank you. (Argument continues as she tries to speak.) Thank you. We'll be right back right after this ad break.

Candidate Name: Münevver Birdane
Home Nation: Alkharya
Office(s) sought: Internal Affairs Commissioner
Incumbent? (Y/N): N
Eurogroup Affiliation: None or independent
Biography: Started political career in the provincial parliament of Burçak, Barbaros in 1996, elected as a member of the regional parliament of Barbaros in 2002. She served as the governor of Barbaros from 2008 to 2014. Lastly, she served as a member of Kurultay from Barbaros until 2020.

work in progress

Rally dates:

1. Kaanpaşa, Alkharya January 23
2. Rhodenheim, Fremet January 24
3. Kazmurbirha, Ruthund January 25
4. Nyetthem, Vayinaod January 28
5. Hampton City, Reitzmag January 29 Re-scheduled to January 31 Cancelled
6. Saint Dominico, Inquista January 30
7. Antequera, Spain February 1
8. Tullion, Leagio February 2
9. Hannkkara, Mennrimiak February 3

EXECUTIVE BRANCH

The president and their cabinet are responsible for executing laws passed on the parliament. They cannot write laws, though they can veto approved bills or send it back to the parliament with amendments. Regional and provincial governments of Alkharya are also responsible to enforce the laws of the country, as well as the local laws.

The president and their cabinet can create "temporary laws"- A type of law that is enforced for a period of four months. If an extension is needed, the permission of the parliament is required. An extension of a temporary law can happen for a maximum of four times.

Ministers are chosen by the president from the various parliaments all around the country.

Types of ministers:

Minister of Defence - Oversees the armed forces, is responsible for managing external safety and military policy.

Minister of Internal Affairs - Oversees the police forces, is responsible for enforcing the law and managing internal safety, as well as immigration.

Minister of External Affairs - Oversees diplomatic service, is responsible with managing foreign relations and foreign policy.

Minister of Finance - Oversees the treasury, determines fiscal policy and manages the national budget.

Minister of Justice - Oversees the criminal prosecutions and corrections, enforces the court orders and maintains the legal system.

Minister of Education and Culture - Oversees all educational institutions across the country. It is also responsible for the cultural policy of the country.

Minister of Welfare and Social Affairs - Oversees the welfare matters and social outlook of the nation.

Minister of Health - Oversees all health institutions across the country, protects and promotes public health.

Minister of Business and Employment - Ensures protection of the citizen from bad business practices. Also responsible for the employment of the nation.

Minister of Transportation and Infrastructure - Oversees road safety, maritime and rail transport, develops government transportation policy, organizes public transport, and is responsible for the maintenance and construction of infrastructural projects.

original photo used - CC BY 2.0