1979 Constantinopolitan constitutional referendum (Queen of Cities)

The 1979 Constantinopolitan constitutional referendum was held on November 18, 1979. Voters were asked on whether they approve of the proposed new constitution that was written by the Constituent Assembly. To pass, the constitution needed to be approved by 50% of eligible voters. The proposed constitution was approved with 59% eligible voters (68% of casted votes with 88% turnout).

Background
The issue of constitutional reform gained public support during the Tulip Revolution as some argued that the previous 1943 Constitution was undemocratic (it had not been adopted via referendum) and that it facilitated the one-party rule of the Citizens' Front. Critices of the old constitution thought that, by adopting a new constitution the country would avoid the risk of another authoritarian takeover. The goals of the government's constitutional revision were to enshrine human rights as inviolable, protect women from discrimination, reform the political system to ensure more independence for the country's judiciary, establish the State's responsibility to better the condition of its citizens through welfare and grant more power to the arrondissements in their local administration. While initially opposed to constitutional reform, parties on the center of the political spectrum gradually warmed towards the idea as a constitutional revision would allow them to make the Great Reforms constitutional law. The main opposition to the idea of a new constitution came from the libertarian and ethnic right-wing because of their opposition to government interventionism and monoculturalism.

Constituent Assembly
The issue of constitutional reform gained public support during the Tulip Revolution. Throughout 1977 and 1978 the leftist government of Djemal Erkmen set up the framework for the election of a Constituent Assembly, culminating in the 1978 Constantinopolitan Constituent Assembly election. Throughout the period of the Constituent Assembly's work the socialists would work with the republicans as the two factions held nearly two-thirds of the seats in the Assembly, resulting in a text that combined the key elements from the Great Reforms while adding most of the left-wing proposals.

The final text for the proposed constitution was adopted by a vote of 141 to 52 on September 7, 1979.

Proposed constitution
The text of the proposed constitution was influenced by the ideals of the Great Reforms. The new constitution declared Constantinople to be a "democratic republic that adheres to the principles of human rights, secularism, parliamentarism and whose goal is to ensure the well-being of all of its citizens". In accordance with those principles, the constitution declares that the State must provide its population with education, food, health and shelter.

Despite maintaining Constantinople's parliamentary system the new constitution significantly altered the political makeup of the city-state. The length of parliamentary and presidential terms were reduced to four and five respectively and term limits were instituted (five for members of Parliament and two for president). The judicial branch, which had come under criticism due to its role in supporting the Citizens' Front, was reformed through the adoption of a new civil and penal codes, which were based on their German analogues. Additionally, term limits and mandatory retirement ages were created for almost all judicial offices

The adoption of a new constitution opened the door to social reforms that were promised by the government. Despite having no control over the Constituent Assembly's agenda, Prime Minister Erkmen began exerting pressure over the body to include protections against discrimination and to legalize abortion and the practice of homosexuality, all of which were eventually included into the final text of the constitution. This marked a victory for Constantinople's feminist and LGBT rights movements.

Parliamentary parties
Approve
 * The Social Democrats
 * New Left Party
 * Progressive Party

Neutral
 * Citizens' Front

Reject
 * Reformist Party
 * Party of Freedom
 * Turkish National Party

Results
Following its approval, the new Constitution of the Constantinopolitan Republic would enter into force on June 1, 1980.