Six-party opposition roundtable announces the Common Policies Text

Six-party opposition roundtable announces the Common Policies Text

The six-party opposition roundtable formed by the leaders of the Republican People’s Party (CHP), Democrat Party, DEVA Party, Gelecek Party, IYI Party, and Saadet Party, has announced the Common Policies Text, also called the election manifesto of the presidential candidate.

The document consists of nine main titles:

>> Law, justice, and judiciary

>> Public administration

>> Anti-corruption, transparency, and supervision

>> Economy, finance, and employment

>> Science, R&D, innovation, entrepreneurship and digital transformation

>> Sectoral policies

>> Education and training

>> Foreign policy, defense, security, and migration

The Common Policies Text, which will form the backbone of the Election Declaration of the Joint Presidential Candidate and the Government Program to be implemented after the elections, sets out over 2,300 concrete goals, policies, and projects under 75 sub-themes.

Here is the summary of the concrete steps to be taken under nine main titles:

LAW, JUSTICE, AND JUDICIARY

·We will shift to a Strengthened Parliamentary System for a strong, liberal, democratic, and just system in which the separation of powers is established through an effective and participatory legislative, a stable, transparent, and accountable executive, and an independent and impartial judiciary.

·We will urgently implement the constitutional and legislative amendments that need to be made in line with the Memorandum of Understanding on a Strengthened Parliamentary System.

·We will ensure that a plenary debate, with an agenda set by the opposition, can be held for at least 20 days in a legislative year.

·We will redefine the concepts of state and trade secrets in a way that does not impede the Parliament’s authority to receive information and audit.

·We will constitutionally guarantee that the power to withdraw from international conventions rests with the Parliament.

·We will establish a Final Accounts Committee in the Grand National Assembly of Turkey, the president of which is elected from among the main opposition deputies.

·We will terminate the President’s overbearing veto power over acts of Parliament, with only a right to “return bills” to the Parliament for reconsideration being granted to the President. 

·We will put an end to the President’s power to issue decrees.

·We will make arrangements for the President to be elected for a term of 7 years, to be dismissed from his party after being elected, and not to be able to return to active politics upon completion of the term.

·We will ensure that the new prime minister’s name is included in the no-confidence motions against the prime minister or the entire Council of Ministers and that an absolute majority of the total number of members of the Grand National Assembly of Turkey signs the motion.

·We will put an end to the state of emergency decrees and reduce the duration of the state of emergency from six months to two months.

·We will form two different councils, one being the Council of Judges and the other the Council of Prosecutors.

·We will put an end to the multi-bar system.

·We will regulate the Court of Auditors as a supreme court in the Constitution and expand the scope of the Court of Auditors’ audit to include all public institutions and organizations.

·We will take the necessary measures to rigorously implement the principle that arrest is an exception.

·We will strengthen the freedoms of thought, opinion, and expressios and will the freedom of the press and restructure TRT (Turkish Radio and Television Corporation) and Anadolu Agency according to the principles of independence and impartiality.

·We will put an end to the vague and arbitrary restriction of the freedoms of assembly and demonstration.

·We will ensure that an equal, fair, and transparent method is applied for non-governmental organizations to benefit from supports such as public interest status and tax exemption.

·We will put an end to the grievances arising from the state of emergency decrees.

·We will lower the electoral threshold to 3%.

·We will create an overseas constituency for the direct representation of our citizens living abroad in the Parliament with a maximum of 15 deputies.

·We will ensure that political parties that received at least 1% of the votes in the most recent parliamentary general elections benefit from treasury assistance.

·We will make the permission of the Grand National Assembly of Turkey mandatory to file lawsuits regarding the dissolution of political parties.

·We will require that donations over a certain amount made to political parties and candidates and all expenditures incurred during elections be made public.

PUBLIC ADMINISTRATION

·We will abolish the boards and offices within the Office of the Presidency and transfer their duties and powers to the relevant ministries and institutions.

·We will close down the Turkey Wealth Fund.

·We will restructure ministries in line with our goal of green and digital transformation and inclusion.

·We will establish the Strategy and Planning Organization.

·We will abolish the deputy minister’s office and establish the undersecretariat system.

·We will put an end to the trustee practices that ignore the right to elect and be elected in local elections.

·We will increase municipalities’ share from general budget tax revenues and consider the provinces’ contribution to production and export, summer-winter and night-day population difference, and irregular migration in determining the shares.

·We will enact the Fundamental Law on Mukhtarship.

·We will return their legal entities to the villages converted into neighborhoods with the Metropolitan Law.

·We will establish a State Personnel Presidency.

·We will put an end to interviews and ensure that personnel is recruited based on the principle of starting with the highest scorer in the written exam.

·We will increase the number of Public Personnel Selection Examination (KPSS) and not charge for exams.

·We will not allow the provision of essential and permanent duties by public services to be carried out by deputies or subcontractors.

ANTI-CORRUPTION, TRANSPARENCY, AND AUDIT

·We will establish a “Committee of Inquiry on Corruption” in the Grand National Assembly of Turkey.

·We will bring back to Turkey the revenues obtained through corruption and smuggling abroad. To this end, we will establish the “Office for the Recovery of Assets”.

·We will strengthen the financial resources, personnel, and IT infrastructure of the Financial Crimes Investigation Board and ensure that it has administrative autonomy.

·We will fully comply with the Financial Action Task Force (FATF) standards and remove our country from the “gray list”.

·We will urgently publish the list of tax havens and the list of countries at risk of money laundering.

·We will prevent tax amnesty and asset reconciliations from being used as a means of money laundering.

·We will reorganize Public Procurement Law No. 4734 under the European Union norms.

·We will increase the responsibility for discipline, punishment, and compensation of public officials who violate the right to information.

·We will transparently publish guarantees and other contingent obligations arising from Public Private Partnership (PPP) projects.

·We will make it mandatory for TurkStat (Turkish Statistical Institute) statistics to be regularly subjected to quality and reliability control by Committees formed by academics and experts.

·We will enact the Law on Political Ethics, establish a Political Ethics Committee within the Grand National Assembly of Turkey, and regulate the establishment of political ethics committees within political parties with a group.

ECONOMY, FINANCE, AND EMPLOYMENT

·We will permanently reduce inflation to low single digits in two years.

·We will restore credibility and stability to the Turkish lira.

·We will ensure that the average growth rate is above 5 percent.

·We will at least double our per capita income in dollar terms at the end of five years.

·We will create, in five years, at least 5 million additional quality jobs that generate a decent income and reduce unemployment to single digits.

·We will cancel out the extreme poverty that has been on the agenda again after 2018.

·We will put an end to policies based on unfair income, wealth transfer, and unearned income and ensure a fair and balanced income distribution among individuals, households, and regions.

·We will increase the annual exports to 600 billion dollars and the kilogram value of exports to over 2 dollars and double the share of high-tech products exports at the end of five years.

·We will rid production of dependence on imports through our sectoral policies based on efficiency, high-added value, and competitiveness and bring our economy to the level of sustainable external balance.

·We will not impose responsibilities on the Central Bank other than ensuring price and financial stability.

·We will introduce legislative arrangements to ensure that amendments to the Central Bank Law concerning basic duties, instrument independence, and high-level appointments can be made by a qualified majority in the Grand National Assembly of Turkey.

·We will abolish the Price Stability Committee, which has no function and leads to interference with the independence of the Central Bank and a conflict of authority and responsibility.

·We will ensure that the CBRT’s (Central Bank of the Republic of Turkey) units in Istanbul are relocated to Ankara as soon as possible.

·We will subject the transactions related to the sale of Central Bank reserves in a non-transparent and circuitous manner to administrative and legal supervision. We will follow up on the identified errors, irregularities, corruption, and public damage until the end.

·We will put an end to opening new Currency Protected Deposit accounts and close existing accounts at maturity as soon as we come to power.

·We will put an end to all unnecessary expenditures on the grounds of reputation.

·We will reduce the number of aircraft used by the Presidency.

·We will initiate the “Fiscal Rule” practice to make the fiscal discipline understanding permanent and increase predictability.

·We will use the resources not for unearned income-generating projects such as “Canal Istanbul” but for agricultural irrigation projects, especially those within the scope of the Southeastern Anatolia Project (GAP), Eastern Anatolia Project (DAP), Konya Plain Project (KOP) and Eastern Black Sea Project (DOKAP).

·We will ensure that the public sector does not enter into contracts in foreign currency except for cases of necessity.

·We will expand the scope of the income elements subject to declaration and establish a tax structure that reduces the weight of indirect taxes.

·We will reduce the tax and insurance premium burden on employees.

·We will submit the Tax Expenditures Report to the Grand National Assembly of Turkey with the Central Government Budget Bill.

·We will cancel the withholding tax rate on workplace rent payments.

·We will not charge title deed fees for purchasing housing for the first time.

·We will reduce the VAT charged on all kinds of education and training services.

·We will not charge excise duty on the renewal of vehicles over ten years of age of people working as drivers by profession.

·We will review other regulations on appreciation share and unearned incomes from zoning and tax unearned urban incomes comprehensively and effectively.

·We will stop using tax auditing as a tool to put political pressure on the business world.

·We will put an end to tax amnesty and especially the practices of base increase and asset reconciliation without economic and technical justifications.

·We will take the necessary measures, including collecting withholding tax from payments made to tax havens.

·We will effectively combat informality, reduce informality below the OECD average, and use the resources obtained through this combat to support the most vulnerable segments of society.

·We will make use of all national and international legal remedies for Public-Private Partnership projects where irregularities and corruption are detected, operate arbitration processes, if necessary, initiate legal proceedings against contractor companies, their partners, and responsible persons who cause harm to the public if any, and ensure that the damages incurred are collected from the relevant parties.

·We will ensure the spread of capital to the base and direct long-term resources to companies, especially toward realizing sustainable development goals.

·We will initiate an investigation and audit of allegations of manipulation and corruption in the Stock Exchange, including the relevant institutions, and follow up on the irregularities and corruption detected.

·We will implement regulations that prevent the risks created by speculative and pyramid scheme-type finance practices.

·We will put an end to the construction-centered approach and make Istanbul a real Financial Hub.

·We will review employment-related regulations and reduce formal employment’s financial and non-financial burdens.

·We will simplify and facilitate the implementation of tax and social security premium incentives for employment, which are numerous and complex.

·We will develop and support short training programs, internships, certificates, distance education, digital training channels, and free digital development workshops for youth employment.

·We will increase the number of after-school activity centers and nurseries with trainers at the neighborhood level in cooperation with local governments to ensure more active participation of women in the workforce. To this end, we will also improve access to elderly care.

·We will provide services such as vocational profiling, job finding, vocational orientation, and vocational training courses to enable people with disabilities to participate in the competitive labor market.

·We will prevent the misuse of the Unemployment Insurance Fund and ensure that its activities are carried out more transparently.

·We will transfer to the “Preparation for Tomorrow Fund” half of the 2% employer contribution to the Unemployment Insurance Fund, through which we will finance skill acquisition investments for employees at high risk of becoming unemployed.

·We will update the vocational training curriculum in line with the professions of the future and provide students with new transferable skills that they can use in different areas.

·We will establish Technology High Schools within the Organized Industrial Zones (OIZs) where the relevant stakeholders are also part of their administration.

SCIENCE, R&D, INNOVATION, ENTREPRENEURSHIP, AND DIGITAL TRANSFORMATION

·We will implement our science policy with an understanding focusing on human, freedom, democratic education, scientific thinking, entrepreneurship, and technology production.

·We will make the Supreme Council of Science and Technology operational again.

·We will implement the High Talent Building Emergency Action Plan.

·We will include Turkey in the international research and innovation networks from which it is increasingly excluded.

·We will prepare and implement a multidimensional Brain Drain Action Plan.

·We will create suitable economic and social conditions for our trained human resources and improve academicians’ rights and incomes.

·We will provide scholarships and research opportunities to attract talented artificial intelligence researchers from abroad to the country and ensure that they stay in the country.

·We will make TÜBİTAK (Scientific and Technological Research Council of Turkey) an institution that only conducts advanced research in critical areas together with research institutes.

·We will create the National Innovation System by coordinating the relevant ministries and institutions.

·We will make all of Turkey a technopark by ensuring that technopark incentives are independent of physical space.

·We will place our innovative, green, and digitally transformed entrepreneurs at the center of our self-sufficiency.

·By enacting the New Enterprise Companies (Start-Up) Law, we will provide a clear framework for the legal definitions, statuses, financial obligations, and incentives related to entrepreneurship.

·We will appoint Special Envoys/Ambassadors to places where globally successful entrepreneurial ecosystems are located, such as Silicon Valley.

·We will establish an Entrepreneurship Center to meet all the needs of our entrepreneurs from a single stop.

·We will create and strengthen the necessary legal and accounting infrastructure for “Employee Share Options”.

·We will establish the Ministry of Information and Innovation.

·We will increase the length of Fiber/Optics to 2 million kilometers as soon as possible.

·We will examine all ongoing concession contracts, past processes and transfer legislation in the telecommunication sector and implement a new authorization regime per the standards of developed countries.

·We will transfer the Türk Telekom and Turkcell shares transferred to the Wealth Fund to the Treasury and ensure that they are managed independently according to contemporary governance principles.

·We will define access to the internet as a fundamental human right and ensure that our citizens have access to secure, fast, cheap, and uncensored internet everywhere.

· We will reduce taxes on internet access, Digital Service Tax, and Information and Communication Technologies Authority (BTK) deductions.

·We will reform the law on online broadcasts to protect freedom of expression and personal privacy in line with universal, pluralistic, and democratic principles and through broad consultation.

·We will prevent using public surveillance power as a weapon against political opponents.

SECTORAL POLICIES

>> Agriculture

·We will restructure the Ministry of Agriculture and Forestry as the “Ministry of Agriculture and Food Security”.

·We will fulfill the provision, which has never been complied with until now, in Article 21 of the Agricultural Law that the resource to be allocated from the budget for agricultural support programs shall not be less than one percent of the gross national product.

·We will remove the excise duty burden on the diesel used in agriculture and give back 50 percent of the fertilizer and seed cost as support.

·We will apply reduced electricity tariffs in agriculture and ensure that irrigation and electricity bills are collected after harvest.

·We will use the electricity produced with the Solar Powerplant (GES) license to be allocated to the Agricultural Credit Cooperatives only for agricultural irrigation purposes in exchange for operation, depreciation, and electricity transmission costs.

·We will set the base prices for basic agricultural products taking into account cost, exchange rate, and inflation and providing our farmers with a decent income.

·We will announce the purchase prices of agricultural products before planting, give input support before the farmer plows the field, milks and slaughters the livestock, and pay the other support payments within 90 days after production.

·We will cancel the interest incurred on our farmers’ loans granted by banks and Agricultural Credit Cooperatives and restructure them.

·We will plan our farmers’ Agriculture BAĞ-KUR (Social Security Organization for Artisans and Self-employed) premium payments to be paid interest-free after harvest and ensure that they benefit from health insurance.

·We will protect raw milk and meat producers against increases in feed prices by introducing the parity practice.

·We will generate alternative livelihoods that will increase the income of forest villagers and provide the necessary support and incentives.

·We will focus on the main function of the Agricultural Credit Cooperatives and ensure that agricultural inputs such as fertilizers, pesticides, seeds, and feed, for which we are import dependent, are produced in Turkey and investments are made to ensure stability in input prices.

·We will create a fast and strong agricultural insurance structure by restructuring TARSİM (Insurance of Agriculture).

·We will register all Class 1, 2, and 3 agricultural lands and some of Class 4 agricultural lands as “National Food Security Strategic Resource” and prevent their use for non-agricultural purposes.

·We will prioritize the completion of infrastructure investments within the scope of the Southeastern Anatolia Project (GAP), Konya Plain Project (KOP), and Eastern Anatolia Project (DAP), especially irrigation canals.

·We will eliminate the deficiencies in legal arrangements related to food security and raise awareness.

·We will limit agricultural product import permits through the Inward Processing Regime for products that are not produced or cannot be produced in sufficient quantities. We will issue these permits transparently in a competitive environment.

·We will provide social security premium support to women and young people under 30 working in agriculture.

·We will initiate the “Seasonal Living Spaces” project to improve the living standards of seasonal agricultural workers, including accommodation, health, and cleaning. We will ensure that their children attend the nearest educational institution by covering their transportation and feeding costs.

>> Industry and Technology, Defense Industry

·We will make the industrial sector an important element of the economy based on production and efficiency and increase the manufacturing industry’s share of national income.

·We will increase the share of high-tech products in the manufacturing industry exports to 10 percent and the medium-high technology share to 40 percent.

·We will establish valleys for industry, technology, and cyber security nationwide equipped with modern infrastructure and social areas and developed based on talent management, connectivity, eco-friendly production, innovation, and digitalization.

·We will ensure that the 15% price advantage applied in the supply of domestic products is also applied in leasing tenders through the purchase of services.

·We will prepare a ‘Green Transformation R&D Support Package’ for industrial facilities likely to be adversely affected by the Green Transformation to adapt to this transformation.

·We will present incentives and supports based on a holistic approach that considers the elements such as the integrity of the production chain, economies of scale, efficiency, digital and green transformation, globally competitive environment, net added value, leap and growth potential, attention to registration, financing, institutional capacity, reducing development differences between regions and sustainability.

·We will implement the “Project Based Incentive System” objectively, fairly, and transparently.

·We will reduce Turkey’s import dependency in the defense sector, create an ecosystem that will act as a pioneer in developing advanced industrial technologies, increase the strength and deterrence of our armed forces, and develop high-value-added exports by taking our defense industry to much higher levels.

·We will pave the way for the private sector in the defense industry and ensure fair competition.

·We will manage large procurement projects such that they do not contradict Turkey’s foreign policy and are under the concrete security atmosphere and needs without causing any disruption in the structure and planning of the forces.

·We will allocate a separate and special budget for the realistic implementation and complete indigenization of National Combat Aircraft, Jet Training Aircraft, Altay Tank, TF 2000 Frigate, 4G and 5G base station and network infrastructure, military surveillance and communication satellites, and similar projects the development schedules of which are constantly delayed. We will also allocate the required qualified personnel.

·We will complete the engine supply process for the Altay Tank, give a start to the indigenous engine projects parallel to this, and continue the 100% indigenous tank projects with a great mobilization move and achieve success.

·We will transform ASELSAN, TAI, MKE, Roketsan, TEI, and HAVELSAN into global companies through consolidation, strategic acquisitions, mergers, venture capital investments, and effective planning and with the active support of the private sector.

·As per the principles of national interest and security, we will not go for privatizing military factories that would undermine critical capabilities and services.

·We will cancel the allocation procedures of Sakarya Tank Pallet Factory as per legislation.

>> Energy and Mining

·We will review the duties and responsibilities of the Ministry of Energy and Natural Resources and put an end to its intervention in the jurisdiction of the Energy Market Regulatory Authority (EMRA).

·We will establish an ‘Energy Consumer Portal’ to follow up on intensive consumer complaints in electricity, natural gas, and fuel markets from a single center.

·Instead of incentives and subsidies that will disrupt the supply-demand balance in the energy sector, we will provide direct financial support through the budget to not oppress citizens, industrialists, and tradespeople under high prices.

·We will put an end to permanent daylight-saving time.

·We will establish a committee to examine the contracts concluded with electricity generation and distribution companies. We will take all necessary steps as per law, including the termination of the contract, against the companies that act contrary to the contracts and do not fulfill their commitments in terms of investment, service quality, and similar issues in the contracts.

·We will redesign the Mechanism for Supporting Renewable Energy Sources (YEKDEM) according to changing market conditions and prices.

·We will evaluate all alternatives in wind energy, including horizontal, vertical, onshore, and offshore facilities, and support R&D and investment activities.

·We will make the electric vehicle charging station network available all over Turkey by 2025.

·We will conclude contracts with new source countries to reduce the risk of dependence on certain countries/companies in natural gas imports and reduce the cost of natural gas imports. We will renegotiate existing high-priced natural gas contracts.

·We will develop a ‘Turkish Nuclear Ecosystem’ by establishing a Nuclear Research and Training Center based on new-generation nuclear technologies.

·We will review the status of the Akkuyu Nuclear Power Plant Project and the contract details, the rights granted outside the contract, or the obligations assumed.

·We will make Turkey the largest Energy Trade Hub of the Eastern Europe-Caucasus-Middle East-North Africa basin.

·We will sign international treaties on exclusive economic zones and intensify exploration activities while protecting our rights in the Eastern Mediterranean.

·We will accelerate identifying Turkey’s mineral resources and increase the sector’s share in national income.

·We will enact a new mining law to replace Mining Law No. 3213, amended countless times to date and whose integrity has been significantly damaged.

·We will repeal Presidential Circular No. 2018/8 on the immovable properties of public institutions and organizations that block the mining sector.

·We will determine the ‘Principles of Responsible Mining’ by prioritizing Occupational Health and Safety and Environment awareness.

>> Transportation and Logistics

·We will enhance the structure of the transportation sector to make Turkey an attractive production and logistics hub in international trade, offer safe and technological innovations, and accelerate development.

·We will introduce alternative transportation types and systems, especially modern rail systems, metro, railway, sea routes, and inland waterways for urban and intercity passenger and freight transportation.

·We will cancel the Canal Istanbul project on the day we take office and examine the works and transactions carried out to date from legal, economic, ecological, and technical perspectives.

·We will connect all city centers with divided roads.

·We will establish a “Railway Regulation and Supervision Agency” that will regulate and supervise railway safety procedures, training of personnel, safety rules for railway vehicles, and similar issues.

·We will rapidly complete the non-progressive projects such as Karaman-Ulukışla, Mersin-Konya, Mersin-Adana-Osmaniye-Gaziantep, İzmir-Manisa-Uşak-Afyonkarahisar-Ankara, and Ankara-Bursa-Bandırma high-speed train projects, start the Antalya-Konya-Aksaray-Kayseri project immediately, and increase the number of safe High-Speed Train and Speed Train lines.

·We will quickly complete the Northern Marmara Railway project, which includes the Halkalı-Kapıkule high-speed train line and the passage through the Yavuz Sultan Selim Bridge.

·We will accelerate the access of the provinces in Central and Eastern Anatolia to the ports with the North-South High-Speed Train Railway Project.

·We will also build double lines for the necessary places so that the railway network will reach the provinces that are still not connected and thus provide access to logistics centers, production centers, and ports.

·We will establish the only authorized and independent Civil Aviation Regulation and Supervision Board in civil aviation.

·We will deepen the existing airline connection network through cross-flights and increase the number of charter flights between destinations to enhance domestic flights and support the development of low-cost air transport.

·We will make Atatürk Airport available for flights again and ensure that Esenboğa Airport becomes an alternative for Anatolian cities for international flights.

·We will increase the authority of the Port Authorities to carry out the services provided by various institutions in our ports from a single source.

·We will create sea highways for domestic freight transportation between the Mediterranean, Aegean, Marmara, and Black Sea ports.

·We will ensure that the ports to be identified in the Mediterranean and the Black Sea function as the main distribution hubs and reach the capacity sufficient for short-sea shipping to the countries in the region.

·We will quickly prepare Turkey for Logistics 4.0 Transformation and make our country a Global and Regional Logistics Hub using big data and smart transportation technologies.

·We will establish end-to-end digital and widely automated blockchain-based Digital Customs to accelerate customs and transportation processes.

>> Foreign Trade, Domestic Trade, and Competition Policy

·We will remove the obligation for exporters to sell 40% of their foreign exchange income to the Central Bank of the Republic of Turkey (CBRT).

·We will strengthen Eximbank’s capital and enable it to benefit more from long-term and favorable funding opportunities.

·We will revise the structure of the Turkish Exporters Assembly and Exporters’ Associations and ensure that resources are directed to the exporter institutions that are in need instead of political connections.

·We will restructure the Investment Support Agency and enable the agency to offer consultancy services through digital tools.

·We will reactivate the Export Development Center (İGEME) through a public-private partnership.

·We will make the Foreign Economic Relations Board (DEİK) independent again.

·We will accelerate negotiations with the European Union to update the Customs Union Agreement.

·We will review inward processing practices to prevent unfair competition in domestic production.

·We will establish a Coordination Board to improve communication and cooperation between the Competition Authority and sectoral regulatory authorities.

·We will ensure that administrative fines for cases such as giving incomplete, false, or misleading information to the Competition Authority, refusing to provide information, and obstructing the on-site examination that the Authority’s personnel are obliged to carry out the function as a deterrent.

·We will ensure that the relevant departments of the Council of State are again empowered instead of the Administrative Courts as the appellate authority of the decisions of the Competition Board.

·We will increase the administrative and financial capacities of the Consumer Arbitration Committees, determine criteria such as training and experience for the selection of members, and increase the transparency and accessibility of decisions.

·We will put an end to the monopolistic and oligopolistic structures in the food value chain by making the necessary amendments to the Wholesale Market Law and the Law on the Regulation of Retail Trade.

>> Small and Medium Enterprises and Tradespeople and Craftspeople

·We will create a production-oriented, safe, fair, and fast-running support system to improve SMEs’ R&D and innovation, production, marketing, and export capabilities, to increase their competitiveness, and facilitate their access to finance.

·We will effectively increase overseas market research, mentoring, and financing support to increase our SMEs’ national and international e-commerce capacities.

·We will increase the volume of loans granted to SMEs and enable them to benefit more from innovative financing opportunities such as venture capital, crowdfunding, and impact investing.

·We will ensure that KOSGEB’s databases, human resources, and budget means reach the size and quality required by our SMEs.

·We will restructure the Ministry of Commerce into the Ministry of Tradespeople and Trade.

·We will cancel the interest rates of the loans and the interest rates of BAĞ-KUR and tax debts tradespeople used during the pandemic and ensure that the remaining principal is paid in the appropriate term.

·We will ensure that the tradespeople who are part of the Tradespeople Guild Fund benefit from practices such as reducing the contribution share rate and compensating for the loss of income through short-time work allowance.

·We will quickly introduce the required arrangements to protect our small-sized tradespeople against chain markets, large markets, and shopping malls and prevent unfair competition.

>> Tourism

·We will prepare a Tourism Strategy and Master Plan and enact a framework law for tourism.

·We will restructure the Tourism Promotion and Development Agency of Turkey to cover all stakeholders, to promote more effectively, to produce concrete projects for the development of the sector, to find quick solutions to problems with common sense, and to consist of capable personnel.

·We will prevent unearned incomes from zoning and abuse of zoning in tourism areas.

·We will re-examine tourism allocations and take the necessary steps regarding those who are not eligible.

·We will strictly control practices that prevent everyone from enjoying the coasts equally and freely.

·We will support health, festival, sports, nature, camping, caravan, history, culture, faith, museum, thermal, youth, third age, yacht, cruise, agriculture, gastronomy, shopping, congress, and fair tourism to reduce seasonal dependence on tourism, spread tourism to 12 months, increase the number of incoming qualified tourists and ensure diversification in the sector.

·We will support digital transformation in tourism through applications such as “Smart Tourism”, “Smart Destination”, “Smart City”, and “Smart Hotels”.

·We will leave a large part of the accommodation tax levied on hotels to local governments to promote the city and develop tourism.

>> Culture

·We will review Law No. 5846 on Intellectual and Artistic Works and the related secondary legislation with an understanding to remove the obstacles before freedom of artistic expression.

·We will increase the budget resources allocated to culture and arts and encourage the private sector to support this area more.

·We will eliminate the problems related to self-employed artists’ social security and pension rights.

·We will ensure that the public sector’s support for culture and arts is transparent based on pre-declared objective criteria and evaluated by impartial committees. We will meticulously monitor the appropriate use of the support provided.

·We will protect artists’ copyrights and will take every measure to protect artists against infringement and piracy.

·We will effectively fight for the return of our historical artifacts smuggled abroad.

·We will make Turkey a country that is known not for festival bans but for festival incentives.

·We will support the film and series sector’s exports, which have come to the fore in recent years.

·We’ll update the Wonder Child Law to bring it into force again.

>> Climate Change, Environment, Nature and Animal Rights, Forests and Water Management

·We will restructure the Ministry of Environment, Urbanization, and Climate Change as the “Ministry of Climate, Environment and Forestry”.

·We will enact a Climate Law and harmonize the relevant regulations with this law.

·We will appoint a Special Envoy for Climate.

·We will fulfill the target and requirements of the Paris Climate Agreement and set a Net Zero Carbon Emission target for 2050 in line with the principles of the agreement.

·We will establish the Climate Bank as an independent and specialized financing institution to support green transformation.

·On the one hand, while negotiating the situation that has arisen against Turkey as a result of the European Union’s Carbon Border Adjustment Mechanism within the framework of the Customs Union, on the other hand, we will prevent our exporter companies from paying taxes outside Turkey by implementing carbon pricing systems that operate effectively at home.

·We will phase out coal through a certain program as soon as possible to meet the “net zero” emission targets by 2050.

·We will enact the Animal Rights Act, which will constitutionally guarantee animal rights and enhance existing rights.

·We will meet the requirements of the commitment we endorsed at COP26 in Glasgow to ‘reverse and end deforestation by 2030’.

·We will repeal Article 16 of the Appendix to the Forest Law, which gives the President the power to change the status of the forest area.

·We will include the firefighting aircraft to be purchased with the income generated by selling the aircraft in the presidential inventory to the forest firefighting fleet.

·We will ensure that new forests grow in the burnt forest areas in line with forestry science, and we will not allow any other activities to take place in these places.

·We will manage water under the newly established “Ministry of Climate, Environment, and Forestry”.

·We will immediately enact a Water Law that will protect watersheds, wetlands, and our water assets, ensure their survival, and ensure the legal guarantee of everyone’s right to access free, reliable water without discrimination.

·We will make tap water drinkable all over Turkey.

·We will ensure the construction of ‘Wastewater Treatment Plants’ in all residential areas and will not allow loans and approvals to be given to wastewater canal projects that do not include treatment plants.

·We will support projects that consider “Water Footprint” calculations in all areas, especially in industrial areas.

>> Urbanization and Disaster Management

·We will establish the Ministry of Urbanization and Disaster Management.

·We will develop long-term plans for our cities, not short-term ones, based on personal benefits.

·We will start working on incorporating the concept of ‘Crimes Committed Against the City’ into the legal system.

·We will carry out urban transformation with an understanding focusing on the environment and people, not any unearned incomes, that increases resilience to disaster risks, does not destroy the urban identity, respects nature and history, and prioritizes disadvantaged and disabled citizens.

·We will ensure that the Master Plan, which will function as the city’s constitution, is developed based on scientific methods according to the history, statistical data, and functions compatible with the city’s identity.

·We will ensure that the zoning plan amendments are not plot-based but region-based, and we will hold a referendum for the projects that will impact the majority of the people in the region.

·We will put an end to local zoning plan amendments and precedents to generate unearned income or provide income to local governments.

·We will develop the 15-minute city/self-sufficient neighborhood model through special support.

·We will make cities disabled-friendly places, measure and score at the city/district/neighborhood level over certain metrics, and ensure that local governments make the necessary improvements.

·We will restore AFAD’s (Disaster and Emergency Management Presidency) status and reputation as an organization, separate it from the Ministry of Interior, and restructure it as a rule-maker, facilitator, coordinator, supporter, and controller.

·We will ensure that the collected disaster taxes are spent on measures to reduce the disaster’s damages and on rehabilitation works to return to normal after a disaster.

·We will launch the Hayat Istanbul Project, which aims to reduce the risk of the Istanbul earthquake.

·We will develop DASK to cover all types of disasters and non-residential structures.

·We will provide temporary accommodation, goods, and rent assistance to property owners and tenants whose houses have become “uninhabitable” after a disaster.

·We will end the issuance of zoning amnesties that neutralize disaster management.

EDUCATION AND TRAINING

·We will organize educational institutions and processes regardless of gender, ethnicity, religion, language, place of residence, health status, and socio-economic conditions based on an inclusive understanding that guarantees equal and fair opportunity and the right to quality education.

·We will provide free milk, water, and lunch to students in public schools.

·We will provide textbooks free of charge to all preschool, primary, and secondary school students without any further need for additional auxiliary books. We will do this to contribute to local tradespeople’s business and the economy.

·We will meet the stationery, schoolbag, and clothing needs and internet access of students in need in public schools from kindergarten to university free of charge through the “Education Support Card”.

·We will ensure exam security not to hurt the public conscience.

·We will develop a process-oriented system, not an exam-oriented one, for the transition to secondary education.

·We will put an end to the practices that change from year to the next in the high school entrance exams and abolish the LGS exam in time.

·We will offer multiple exams throughout the year instead of only once for placement in a university.

·We will implement compulsory education as 1 + 5 + 4 + 3, i.e., one year of preschool, five years of primary school, four years of secondary school, and three years of high school education.

·We will provide preschool education free of charge, making it compulsory for one year and optionally provide early childhood education for three-year-olds and older ones by creating relevant infrastructures.

·We will offer a holistic approach to language, intelligence and skill development, familiarity with nature, values education, and personal, physical, and educational development starting from Age 3.

·We will organize the 5th year of the 5-year primary school in the form of an academic preparation program for secondary education and the first year of the 4-year secondary school in the form of a foreign language and coding preparatory class.

·We will ensure that children develop awareness about universal ethics, human rights, justice, health, environment and animal rights, culture, art, science, and sports in primary school education, update the curriculum to increase awareness about technology and innovation, and help students develop a programming and entrepreneurship philosophy through techniques such as gamification.

·We will ensure that students learn at least one foreign language and acquire coding skills through software using digital content and media.

·In high school education, we will shift from a purely informative and exam-oriented approach to a system guiding social, emotional, and scientific thinking, professional tendency, social awareness, and acquiring an identity as an individual.

·We will abolish the Higher Education Council and establish a board with limited duties to plan higher education and ensure coordination between higher education institutions without interfering with the academic, administrative, and financial autonomy of higher education institutions.

·We will ensure that the management and supervision of higher education institutions are carried out by the bodies they form by election among their faculty members.

·We will aim to reach the OECD average for the number of students per teacher.

·We will amend the Teaching Profession Law, improve teachers’ personal rights, and put an end to grouping teachers as teachers, expert teachers, and head teachers.

·We will abolish the interviewing process in teacher appointments and reduce the number of teachers awaiting appointments.

·We will remove all barriers to access to education for disadvantaged children with special educational needs.

·We will identify gifted and talented students based on objective criteria and open private schools, prepare special support programs and provide out-of-school education opportunities and scholarships for these students.

SOCIAL POLICIES

>> Social Benefits, Social Services, Social Security, and Work Life

·We will continue integrating the social assistance provided by different institutions and organizations into the Integrated Social Assistance Information System, keep the system constantly up-to-date, and use it effectively.

·We, as the State, will provide “Income Support” on a family basis, in line with a rights-based, supply-oriented, and institutionalized structure to raise low-income families to a decent life level.

·We will raise the cash benefits provided for children’s healthcare and education, with consideration for the costs of care, food, clothing, and transportation.

·We will provide food support, including milk and baby formula, to low-income families for newborns for one year.

·We will provide heating assistance to low-income families in winter.

·We will accelerate building social housing and ensure that low-income families can own housing by paying installments as if paying rent or renting one at a low cost.

·We will ensure that the Mass Housing Administration focuses on the production of Social Housing, which is its main task, and we will allocate the resources needed to this end.

·We will shift to a system in which the monthly pension rate increases in line with increases in insured working time. We will encourage long-term employees to work longer to receive higher pensions.

·We will consider inflation and the share of welfare due to growth for pension increases.

·We will improve the optional insurance system for housewives who have the right to retirement in the number and rate of premium payment days and the maternity borrowing related to the births they had given before they were insured.

·We will not collect the contribution fees pensioners pay for healthcare services.

·We will increase the pensions paid to widows and orphans.

·We will eliminate the deficiencies, injustices, and imbalances in the 3600 additional indicator regulations.

·We will adopt ILO Convention No. 175 on part-time work.

·We will ratify ILO Convention No. 189 on “Decent Work for Domestic Workers”.

·We will ratify ILO Convention No. 131 on determining the minimum wage.

·We will ensure that more unemployed people receive higher benefits for a longer period from the unemployment allowance.

·We will review the severance pay system in dialogue with social parties.

·We will raise occupational health and safety standards to ILO standards.

·We will align the legislation regulating trade unions with ILO and EU standards.

>> Disabled People, Citizens 65 and Over, Relatives of Martyrs, and Veterans

·We will improve the domestic legislation in line with the Concluding Observations of the UN Committee on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities.

·We will fill the existing quotas reserved for persons with disabilities in the public and private sectors.

·We will update disability pensions, care allowances, and material supports according to current conditions, considering high inflation.

·According to current conditions, we will update the Social Security Institution contribution fees for prostheses and orthoses citizens with disabilities use.

·We will ensure that cities, public buildings, workplaces, cultural centers such as cinemas and theaters, educational institutions, and public transport vehicles are accessible for disabled people at international standards. We will carry out inspections in this regard meticulously.

·We will increase the pensions for the elderly.

·We will ensure that citizens over 65 benefit from cultural, art, and sports activities free of charge.

·We will eliminate the mess on the issue of granting martyrdom and veteran status and the imbalances in the salaries paid to the families of martyrs and disabled veterans by making the required arrangements in the “Martyrs’ Families and Veterans Law” and other relevant legislation.

·We will share transparently with the public what happened to 310 million liras collected as a donation for the relatives of the July 15 martyrs, veterans and relatives of veterans and 52 million liras collected for the victims of the Beşiktaş terrorist act and other sources collected to be spent for the families of the martyrs and veterans. We will deliver these sources to their interlocutors as promised.

·We will increase the salary paid to the parents of martyrs.

·We will ensure that bonuses are paid to the families of the martyrs on March 18, Martyrs’ Day, and to disabled veterans on September 19, Veterans Day.

>> Healthcare

·We will make primary care the focus of healthcare services provision, and by preparing the gradual referral chain infrastructure, we will reduce the patient burden on secondary and tertiary care.

·We will restore the reputation healthcare personnel deserve in society by improving their working conditions, wages, and personal rights and making new arrangements in additional indicators.

·We will reorganize the performance-based income system and increase the salary-performance ratio in favor of salary.

·We will launch a ‘Homecoming’ Project for healthcare personnel who have gone abroad.

·We will aim to reach the OECD average regarding the number of healthcare personnel.

·We will ensure that the rights of patients and healthcare personnel are respected.

·We will ensure effective investigation and prosecution of cases of violence in the healthcare sector, make penalties and sanctions more deterrent, and ensure that good conduct and execution reductions are not applied to crimes of violence against healthcare personnel.

·Instead of high-capacity hospitals, we will spread hospitals to different regions in a way to distribute homogeneously transport and access means and patient capacity and use budget resources.

·We will reopen the state hospitals closed on the grounds of City Hospitals as per need analysis.

·We will reopen GATA and other military hospitals.

·We will quickly conclude the opening of the Refik Saydam Sanitation Institute as the “Public Hygiene- Vaccine and Biotechnological Product Research and Production Center of Turkey”.

·We will review the drug price decree in pharmacy to eliminate the production, distribution, and sales problems, prevent the nonavailability of medicines, and ensure financial sustainability at the same time.

>> Women, Family, and Children

·We will restructure the Ministry of Family and Social Services as the “Ministry of Women, Family and Children”.

·We will support women’s participation in decision-making and management processes in the Parliament, local governments, political parties, and public institutions based on gender equality, increase women’s representation, and pursue a policy that prioritizes protecting women’s rights.

·We will pave the way for women’s entrepreneurship by strengthening and differentiating the supports and incentives we will provide concerning entrepreneurship and employment in a way that will benefit women.

·We will launch a Social Fight Campaign against Violence Against Women and implement effective solutions under the themes of “Prevention, Protection, Prosecution and Support Policies” related to all forms of violence.

·We will reduce the tax burden on women’s hygiene products, which are basic needs.

·We will ensure that women working in the public and private sectors are granted administrative leave on March 8, International Women’s Day.

·We will expand services such as pre-marriage training, family counseling, and divorce counseling.

·We will strengthen and expand marriage benefits and supports.

·We will comply with the obligations of the Council of Europe Convention on the Protection of Children against Sexual Abuse and Sexual Exploitation (Lanzarote Convention).

·We will establish an independent ‘Children’s Rights Monitoring Board’.

·We will take under institutional protection all children forced to live on the street, work and beg.

·We will fight against child labor in a data-driven and planned manner with the participation of relevant stakeholders.

·We will prevent children from being forced into marriage at an early age.

>> Youth, Sports, and the Fight Against Drugs

·We will prepare the National Youth Strategy.

·We will start working on establishing a United Nations Youth Center in Istanbul.

·We will issue passports to young people free of charge and will not charge fees for going abroad.

·We will increase the amount of Credit and Dormitories Institution (KYK) loans and scholarships.

·We will extend the non-repayment period of 2 years for the Credit and Dormitories Institution (KYK) loans, postpone payments for those left unemployed while payments continue, and arrange the monthly installment payments such that they do not exceed a reasonable proportion of monthly income.

·We will offer students the option of paying their Credit and Dormitories Institution (KYK) loans in a short time by working on social responsibility projects in a way that minimizes the negative effects on their lives.

·We will support youth employment by strengthening and differentiating the grants, taxes, premiums, loans, other financings, and similar incentives we will provide to increase employment in favor of young people.

·We will increase the representation of young people in Parliament, local governments, and the decision-making mechanisms of political parties, especially at public institutions’ middle and upper management levels.

·We will establish a General Directorate for Talent Tracking and Development under the Ministry of Youth and Sports.

·We will reduce the tax burden on sports equipment.

·We will promote sustainable and innovative insurance and financing models in the sports sector.

·We will put an end to political interference in the presidential elections of federations, ensure that the elections are held democratically, make the federations fully autonomous, and put an end to political nepotism in the federations and all kinds of kinship relations.

·We will prepare an Emergency Action Plan for Combating Drugs and develop drug-related social risk maps for the provinces.

·We will prevent drug lords and members of organized crime organizations from carrying out activities in Turkey.

·We will secure our borders and prevent the entry of drugs by illegal immigrants.

·We will prohibit the toleration, recommendation, production, possession, transportation, trade, and use of addictive substances.

·We will ensure that civilian narco-teams are constantly on duty in schools and their immediate surroundings during school breaks and lunch breaks to save young people from drug gangs.

·We will at least double the penalties for drug or chemical drug dealers selling to youth under 18 and continuing their education. We will make legal arrangements to prevent benefitting from a reduction in sentence for these crimes.

·We will renovate AMATEMs (Alcohol and Substance Addiction Treatment Center) and ÇEMATEMs (Substance Addiction Treatment Center for Children and Adolescents) according to current conditions and strengthen their infrastructure, equipment, beds, and personnel.

FOREIGN POLICY, DEFENCE, SECURITY, AND MIGRATION POLICIES

>> Foreign policy

·We will again adopt the slogan of “Peace at Home, Peace in the World”, the cornerstone of our foreign policy, as our basic foreign policy principle.

·We will put an end to practices based on domestic political calculations and ideological approaches in foreign policy.

·We will reinstate the role and duty of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs in foreign policy making, decisions, and practices.

·We will introduce a comprehensive, objective, and reliable examination system free from political preferences and based on competency and merit.

·We will strive for our citizens living abroad and the NGOs they establish to be Turkey’s soft power and an effective public diplomacy tool.

·We will establish an Academy of Diplomacy under the Ministry of Foreign Affairs.

·We will work to complete the accession process within the framework of dialogue, justice, and equality in line with our goal of full membership in the European Union.

·We will ensure that Turkey and the EU approach the refugee problem with shared responsibility and burden sharing, and we will review the 2014 Readmission Agreement and the March 18, 2016 Agreement.

·As a founding member of the Council of Europe and as required by our Constitution, we will comply with the ECHR and its other legal documents and implement the decisions of the ECHR.

·We will continue to offer our contribution to NATO on a rational basis and with our national interests in mind.

·We will strengthen the Organization of Turkic States.

·We will improve our position in organizations such as the Black Sea Economic Cooperation Organization, the Organization of Islamic Cooperation, the Organization of Economic Cooperation, and the D8 and the role of these organizations in international relations.

·We will respect the independence, sovereignty, and territorial integrity of the countries in the Middle East, will not interfere in their internal affairs, and will not “take sides” in the problems between them but “facilitate solutions”.

·We will meet with all relevant parties to find a permanent solution to the Israeli-Palestinian problem within the framework of UN resolutions and based on the principle of two states. We will also ensure that Turkey takes its place at the table as a reliable facilitator on the Palestinian issue.

·We will further strengthen our fraternal ties with Azerbaijan based on the principle of mutual trust.

·We will prevent Turkey’s isolation in the Eastern Mediterranean and prioritize achieving results through multiple negotiation processes in the delimitation of maritime jurisdiction areas and the fair sharing of hydrocarbon resources.

·We will pursue the objectives of protecting the acquired rights of the Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus and the Turkish Cypriots and ensuring the sovereign political equality of the two communities to find a just and lasting solution to our national cause, the Cyprus problem.

·The Aegean Sea should be seen as an area of peace, cooperation, and good neighborliness. We will work to achieve this goal and will not allow any development that may harm our areas of sovereignty in the Aegean Sea.

·We will establish relations with the United States of America on an institutional basis with an understanding that both parties are equal and advance the alliance relationship based on mutual trust.

·We will take initiatives for Turkey to return to the F-35 project.

·We will maintain relations with the Russian Federation with an understanding that both parties are equal and strengthened by balanced and constructive dialogue at the institutional level.

·We will develop quality relations with Africa in many ways beyond merely seeing the continent as an area where we open a representative office and turn Turkey-Africa Summits into a regular and functional process.

·We will build our “Asia vision” on strengthening our relations with the countries in the region at the bilateral level and enriching these bilateral relations by diversifying them through multiple cooperation mechanisms.

·We will evaluate our relations with organizations such as the Shanghai Cooperation Organization and ASEAN on a realistic and sustainable basis.

>> National Defense, Homeland Security, Counterterrorism, and Cyber Security

·We will equip our army with high-tech systems to carry out the assigned tasks and strengthen intelligence, reconnaissance, strike power, and other operational capabilities.

·We will review the organizational structure of the Ministry of National Defense and reconnect the Force Commands to the General Staff.

·We will reopen the military high schools, the military academies, all schools that train staff officers, officers, and non-commissioned officers, and the effective systems that have been abolished.

·We will organize a comprehensive Security Council every year with the participation of the representatives of security institutions, academics, non-governmental organizations, professional chambers, and all relevant parties.

·We will continue the fight against all terrorist organizations and terrorism without any interruption by using all our power elements.

·We will actively work on the extradition of terrorists who have fled abroad.

·We will strengthen regional and international cooperation on the cross-border activities of organized crime groups.

·We will establish a Security Committee, above the security organization, with the equal representation of parties in the Grand National Assembly of Turkey, equipped with the authority of “ombudsmanship” on behalf of the people and the security personnel.

·We will revise the National Cyber Security Strategy Document with the participation of all relevant sectors and prepare action plans for the public and private sectors.

·We will continuously check our cybersecurity level through regular Cyber Security Coalition exercises to strengthen our cyber defense force.

>> Migration and Asylum Seeker Policies

·We will restructure the institutions related to asylum seekers, especially the Directorate of Migration Management, and strengthen the management and personnel infrastructures.

·We will conclude Readmission Agreements with the source countries of irregular migration.

·We will not allow Turkey to be treated as a “buffer country.”

·We will fortify our borders with electro-optical towers, lighting systems, night vision cameras, unmanned aerial vehicles, integrated security systems, and walls when necessary, and we will never allow illegal passage.

·We will increase the number and capacity of removal centers.

·We will end the practice of granting Turkish citizenship in exchange for purchasing real estate, government debt securities, mutual funds, or opening foreign currency deposits or private pension accounts.

·We will not allow asylum seekers to have access to uncontrolled concentrations or ghettoization on a neighborhood, district, or provincial basis.

We will ensure that Syrians under Temporary Protection return safely to their country as soon as possible and under domestic and international laws.