But before the amendment package could be formally introduced, a minority secularist party, the Nationalist Movement Party, introduced an amendment limited to ending the head-scarf ban.
A recent controversy over a supposed military coup plot had made Turkey more open and transparent, and that process will be encouraged by a new constitutional amendment package, Mr. Bagis argued.
Lona Lane, Michelle Harris and John Rice were among the names mentioned -- suddenly voted the amendment package down, apparently under pressure from above.
Because of the way Cotton filed his amendment package, the Senate could not vote on any of the 66 pending amendments before addressing his proposed changes.
Turkey's ruling party AKP (Justice and Development Party) pushed for a last minute constitutional amendment package towards the end of last legislative session.
The polls resulted in 51.4 percent "YES" vote against 48.6percentt "NO" to approve the constitutional amendment package, an almost irreversible move for the future of Turkey and perhaps the region.
The ruling Justice and Development Party's (AKP) amendment package, which looks likely to go to a binding national referendum in the spring, seeks to abolish the post of prime minister, naming the president the official head of the executive with the power to directly appoint cabinet members and senior judges.
"Senator Reed supports restoring the Voting Rights Act and is looking forward to taking a look at Senator Leahy's new Voting Rights Amendment package when it's introduced this Congress," said Chip Unruh, a spokesman for Sen. Jack Reed (D-R.I .. "He will co-sponsor again," saiD-R.I . spokeswoman Meghan Dubyak.
"We hope that through shuttle diplomacy we can give our proposal in form of amendment or package after it is finalized to the other side for examination," he said, according to the ISNA news agency.
