Erdogan stokes judicial crisis, calling for new constitution

Turkey's President Tayyip Erdogan shakes hands with newly elected Turkey's main opposition Republican People's Party (CHP) leader Ozgur Ozel as they attend a ceremony at the mausoleum of Mustafa Kemal Ataturk, marking his 85th death anniversary, in Ankara, Turkey, November 10, 2023. Murat Cetinmuhurdar/PPO/Handout via REUTERS

ANKARA (Reuters) - Turkish President Tayyip Erdogan waded into a brewing judicial crisis on Friday, calling for a new constitution to resolve an unprecedented clash between two of the country's top courts, as opponents marched in Ankara.

The comments stoked a debate over the rule of law that erupted on Wednesday when the appeals Court of Cassation made a criminal complaint against judges of the Constitutional Court, which ruled last month that jailed parliamentarian Can Atalay should be released.