PROGRAM
CONTENTS
I. INTRODUCTION
II. FUNDAMENTAL RIGHTS AND POLITICAL PRINCIPLES
2.1 Fundamental Rights and Freedoms
2.2 Political Principles
2.3 Political Structuring
2.4 Law and Justice
2.5 Democratization and Civilian Society
2.6 The East and Southeast
III. THE ECONOMY
3.1 Our Concept of the Economy
3.2 Public Finance
3.2.1 The Budget
3.2.2 Taxation
3.2.3 Public Debts
3.3 Privatization
3.4 Production and Investment Policies
3.5 Industrial Property
3.6 Foreign Trade
3.7 Financial Services
3.8 Tradesmen, Artisans and Small and Medium Scale Enterprises
3.9 Agriculture, Animal Husbandry and Forestry
3.10 Energy
3.11 Mining
3.12 Transportation and Communication
3.13 Tourism
3.14 Consumer Protection
IV. PUBLIC ADMINISTRATION
4.1 Our Concept of Public Administration
4.2 Central Government
4.3 Local Government
4.4 Public Personnel Management
4.5 Security
4.6 Combat Against Corruption
V. SOCIAL POLICIES
5.1 Our Concept of Social Policies
5.2 Education
5.3 Culture and Art
5.4 Health
5.5 Social Security
5.6 Labor
5.7 Women
5.8 Family and Social Services
5.9 Youth and Sports
5.10 Urbanization and Housing
5.11 Environment
5.12 Science and Technology
5.13 Written and Visual Media
5.14 Traffic
VI. FOREIGN POLICY
VII. CONCLUSION
INTRODUCTION
Development and Democratization
PROGRAM
I. INTRODUCTION
Turkey is experiencing a great desire for change within acnimonious times. The serious problems in politics, economy and social life are adversely affecting the daily lives and futures of our citizens. Turkey is yearning for a dynamic "political formation", having the vision to overcome these problems, to provide peace, security and welfare for its citizens, to allow them to look securely to their futures.
Within this period of time when concepts are emptied of their substance, when values are withered, when words lose their meanings, Turkey urgently requires a new and fresh understanding; a determined movement able to see the present and future clearly; an honorable struggle; a domestic and realistic cadre equipped with contemporary knowledge; and, realistic programs and projects opening new horizons.
All of the above goals can be reached through a new and dynamic political will to start the economical development movement; to correct the improper distribution of income; to eradicate poverty; to eliminate disgruntlements; which is unifying, embracing, ensuring social peace, providing trust between institutions and the citizens.
With all its colors, similarities and differences, briefly with its unique wealth, Turkey has the potential of a candidate to be the pioneer within its own borders, in its region and the whole world, of innovation, development, peace and welfare. To accomplish all of the above, Turkey needs to be governed by cadres possessing political will and determination.
Turkey's problems are not impossible to solve. Since;
· Turkey has rich surface and underground natural resources.
· Turkey has a young and dynamic population.
· Turkey has a very rich historical and cultural heritage.
· Our nation has a deep rooted and rich tradition of government.
· Turkey has a high entrepreneurial potential with a high capability for international competition.
· Turkey has a geo-strategic position, which may help it to play an influential role in its region.
· Turkey is a center of attraction for tourism with its unique natural beauty and historic texture.
· The qualities of social solidarity and mutual assistance, which are expressions of our public's national and religious character, are very significant assets.
· Our nation has achieved many successes in many impossible situations throughout history.
Therefore, we are not helpless. We absolutely must get this huge potential in motion. This is the reason for the existence of our party in the political scene. We are determined to mobilize the large potential of Turkey, in order to make our people happy and restore the respectability of our country.
Established along the lines of a widespread social desire, in order to respond to this requirement, our Party is the Party of all our people, living within the same geography for millennia, in peace, friendship and brotherhood, sharing a joint destiny, whose happiness, sorrow and pride is common.
With its honest, dynamic, high-principled cadres and a political perspective to open the horizons of our country, our Party's objective is to put an end to the troubles suffered by our people for several years, to improve the problem solving and decision making ability of the political system, to remove all the obstacles preventing the development of our country, to bring Turkey into the enlightenment it deserves.
Our Party is one which aims to offer original and permanent solutions to our country's problems, parallel to the world's realities, with the accumulation of the past and tradition, making public service its basic purpose, conducting political activities in the platform of the contemporary democratic values, rather than ideological platforms.
Because of this particularity, our Party embraces without discrimination, all of our citizens, regardless of their sex, ethnic origins, beliefs and opinion. On the basis of this pluralistic concept, it is one of our Party's fundamental objectives to develop the consciousness of citizenship and to share with all our countrymen, the pride to possess and belong to the country where we live.
One of the main principles of our Party is the proverb, "Unless everyone is free, no one is free". Our Party considers as one of its most important tasks, the assurance of democratization by placing the individual at the center of all its policies, and to provide and protect fundamental human rights and freedoms.
Our Party constitutes a ground where the unity and the integrity of the Republic of Turkey, the secular, democratic, social State of law, and the processes of civilianization, democratization, freedom of belief and equality of opportunity are considered essential.
Deficiencies destroying societies and governments, such as decadence, corruption, irregularities, profiteering, favoritism, inequality in front of the law, inequality of opportunities racism, partisanship, despotism are the areas where our party will fight against most intensely.
Our public is not helpless. The solution rests with the people itself. As Great Atatürk has commented, the strength to save the nation is in its own resoluteness and determination.
Identifying with the people, our Party before everything else will definitely reestablish the sense of trust, which disappeared in society. We are resolved and determined to ensure that everyone can look at the future with security, and that everyone can feel as a respectable and properly treated member of this society.
We have a concept of governance, which facilitates, rather than make things more difficult; embraces rather than push away; unifies rather than divide; protecting the fair weak against the unfair powerful.
In order to achieve all of the above, we present a political program to:
· Spread an understanding based on universal rights and freedoms to all areas,
· Eliminate entirely all the chronic problems faced by Turkey,
· Mobilize the human and physical resources left inactive for years, and make Turkey a country which produces constantly and which grows by producing,
· Eliminate the gap in the distribution of income, thus raise the welfare level of our people
· Involve citizens and non governmental organizations in the public administration and create synergy within society,
· Make the concept of full transparency and accountability prevalent in every area of public life,
· Provide contemporary, rational, and realistic and easy to implement solutions in areas such as the economy, foreign policy, culture, arts, education, health, agriculture and animal husbandry.
We believe firmly that this program will solve Turkey's problems and open the way for its advancement. We expect that this program, which we present for the assessment of our public, will be a brand new start for Turkey.
Everything will be better with us, with the help of Allah.
Board of Founding Members
FUNDAMENTAL RIGHTS
and
POLITICAL PRINCIPLES
Development and Democratization
PROGRAM
II. FUNDAMENTAL RIGHTS AND POLITICAL PRINCIPLES
2.1. FUNDAMENTAL RIGHTS AND FREEDOMS
The fundamental human rights and freedoms are acquisitions obtained by humanity after struggles lasting for centuries. The level of these freedoms is an indicator of being a civilized society. It is also the expectation of our society to see Turkey, which is part of the civilized world, to be brought in the area of fundamental rights and freedoms to a position which it deserves. Therefore, steps must be taken because our people deserve these rights and freedoms, rather than because international institutions want them to be taken.
We accept in advance that our public has common sense and will make the proper choice. No structure can bring freedom to individuals or peace to society, unless it is based on the free will of the people.
Freedoms constitute the foundation of democracy.
No individual or institutional oppression is acceptable.
The most significant element of trust in a society is the belief of individuals living in the society that their rights and freedoms are respected. This belief is the basic strength, which puts all the social and economic dynamics in motion. Furthermore, respect for the rights and freedoms of individuals, is the basic condition for the establishment of social peace and stability, and for the acceptance of a democratic political regime by the people.
Our Party regards Ataturk's principles and reforms as the most important vehicle for raising the Turkish public above the level of contemporary civilization and sees this as an element of social peace.
Regarding fundamental rights and freedoms, our Party will achieve the following objectives:
· Standards in the area of human rights contained in the international agreements to which Turkey is a party, especially in the Universal Declaration on Human Rights, European Convention on Human Rights, Paris Charter and Helsinki Final Act shall be put into force.
· The opinions and suggestions of the volunteer establishments, non-governmental organizations active in the area of human rights shall be taken into consideration; a tight cooperation shall be established between the government and these organizations. Emphasis will be put on the participation of these organizations in the identification of human rights violations, in working out recommendations for solutions, in education on human rights and in the inspection of law enforcement units.
· The freedoms of thought and expression shall be built up on the basis of international standards, thoughts shall be freely expressed, and differences shall be regarded as an asset.
· Our party considers religion as one of the most important institutions of humanity, and secularism as a pre-requisite of democracy, and an assurance of the freedom of religion and conscience. It also rejects the interpretation and distortion of secularism as enmity against religion.
· Basically, secularism is a principle which allows people of all religions, and beliefs to comfortably practice their religions, to be able to express their religious convictions and live accordingly, but which also allows people without beliefs to organize their lives along these lines. From this point of view, secularism is a principle of freedom and social peace.
· Our Party refuses to take advantage of sacred religious values and ethnicity and to use them for political purposes. It considers the attitudes and practices which disturb pious people, and which discriminate them due to their religious lives and preferences, as anti-democratic and in contradiction to human rights and freedoms. On the other hand, it is also unacceptable to make use of religion for political, economic and other interests, or to put pressure on people who think and live differently by using religion.
· Our Party takes as a basis the right of all our citizens to be freely informed and to express their thoughts. One of the essential conditions of contemporary democracies is the existence of the free press. Therefore, the entire legal framework regarding the media shall be revised, while bans and penalties against the media's freedom of expression and not befitting the requirements of democratic social arrangements shall be lifted beginning with the Constitution. The freedoms of the written press and visual media shall be meticulously protected and monopolization shall not be allowed.
· In order to make human rights and freedoms as a manner of behavior and thus to eliminate human rights violations, educational programs shall be organized, starting with elementary schools and public establishments.
· The freedom to seek one's rights and the right to be justly tried shall be achieved with all its elements. Ways for individuals to seek their rights shall be facilitated.
· Universal standards for rights and freedoms of women, children and labor shall be fully implemented in our country.
· Practices such as torture, death under custody, missing people, murders whose perpetrators are unknown, which are unacceptable in a democratic. State of law shall be seriously prosecuted, transparency shall be ensured. Complaints of all citizens in this subject shall be considered, the necessary arrangements shall be made to provide deterrence, those responsible shall not go without punishment.
· Necessary legal arrangements shall be made in order to follow up the complaints regarding human rights violations, as a matter of priority and urgency without fees and by keeping open way for individuals to be represented by themselves.
· Institutions and establishments shall be formed to monitor the complaints of citizens in the name of the public.
· Our Party contemplates making of the necessary arrangements for all citizens to benefit from public services without any discrimination. In this connection, the constantly increasing lack of trust between citizens and the State institutions shall be eliminated, and a concept of governance to build-up the confidence of citizens in State and all institutions of the State, shall be restored.
2.2. POLITICAL PRINCIPLES
Our Party sees politics to be a vehicle for serving society. In our country, where politics has become polluted, where the political arena has been greatly narrowed, is an objective we wish to achieve to have politics and politicians back in a respectable and confidence-giving position. The most basic need of the political institutions in our country is for politics to have a structure where honesty and integrity are basic, where political financing can be accountable and transparent.
Political parties are civilian political institutions which transfer the socio-economic and socio-cultural requests of the public to the State, and which seek to govern in order to operate the mechanism of the State in this direction. The basic task of the political parties is to carry the agenda of the public to the agenda of the legislative and executive bodies.
Politics is a society's will to build the current day with the correct rules and methods and to plan its future properly.
Our Party believes that the political understanding in Turkey must be completely revised.
According to our perception of politics, the will of the nation is the basis of every action. No practice to shadow the will of the nation can be tolerated.
Confidence and respectability of politicians and politics must be reinstated. For this purpose:
· The Law of Political Parties shall be amended and made to conform to requirements of the contemporary democratic perception.
- The organization of parties, their memberships, nomination of candidates and financial structures shall be transparent.
- Parties' accounts electoral expenses of the candidates shall be transparent and auditable.
- Intra-Party democracy shall be improved by ensuring the legal and democratic competition rights of the individuals and those with minority views.
- Provisions regarding the political party ban and closure of political parties shall be revised along the framework of the decisions of the European Court of Human Rights and the principles drawn by the Venice Commission.
· The Election Law shall be amended.
- The free right to elect and be elected of the citizens and party members shall be achieved with all the ensuing elements.
- The age to be elected deputy shall be lowered to 25.
- Narrowed regional and preferential election system shall be adopted.
- The pre-election system to be conducted with the participation of all the members shall be taken as a basis in the determination of party candidates.
· Legislative arrangements shall be made to prevent the pollution of politics shall be made.
- Politics shall be saved from the appearance of a vehicle for profiteering.
- The personal fortune declaration, which everyone who is elected must legally submit, shall be offered to the information and inspection of the public opinion in a transparent manner.
- Constitutional obstacles preventing prosecution of deputies and ministers shall be lifted, immunities shall be taken up together with all privileges and obstacles against trial of all public officials, and the immunity shall be confined to the votes and speeches of deputies during their parliamentary activities .
- A determined policy shall be followed against all attempts to narrow the scope of politics and to shadow its respectability.
2.3. POLITICAL STRUCTURING
Our party is determined to bring a new perception of politics to Turkey and to implement this concept firstly within its own organism, thus setting an example to other parties.
One of the main targets of our Party is to reinforce of participatory democracy by increasing the effectiveness of the people during the elections.
It is one of our leading objectives to introduce and to improve the effectiveness of referendums allow people to actively participate in the decision-making processes of the central and local administrations.
Democratization and transparency of the internal structures of the parties that constitute the nucleus of an institution are the compelling necessities for the proper functioning of the system.
As AK PARTİ, in order to establish intra-party democracy and transparency:
· It is our priority to carry out pre-elections with the participation of all members of the party to determine the candidates for the seats of deputes.
· For the sake of politics based on principles, the term of service of Chairman of the party and that of the parliamentarians shall be as indicated in our Regulations.
· We shall announce to the public all expenditures made out of the party budget within the year, and at the end of the year we shall explain to the public how the party income was spent.
· We shall allocate a certain proportion of the party budget to research and development and to provincial branches of the Party.
· The intra-party democratic race shall be conducted in an environment of free competition.
· We shall ensure that party members will be able to freely express their opinions within the framework of the Regulations and the program of the Party.
· In party groups, we shall take binding group decisions in exceptional cases listed in the Regulations.
· We shall bring to life interactive politics.
· Ability and merit shall be taken as a basis in all the assignments, especially ministers, when our Party comes to the government.
2.4. LAW AND JUSTICE
A State observes the rule of law is a guarantee for the freedom and rights of its citizens. Therefore a democratic regime cannot be said to exist, in a society, which does not observe the rule of law, and where the law does not rule.
In a democratic State of law, where democracy asserts its existence through law, respect for the universal principles of law, keeping the recourse procedures open, equality in front of the law, protection of individual rights and freedoms, securing the abidance of the State by the laws, are fundamental values. These values could be translated into action only through the constitution, laws and an independent judicial system.
Our Party shall be the assurance of the concept of governance based on the rule of law.
Rather than a State of law, our country appears today as a State of codes. The concept of "State of law" shall be the basis instead of the "law of the State". Unless the codes are based on the law, and the law is based on fundamentals of universal justice and human rights, Turkey cannot be a real State of law and cannot obtain a respectable place in the international community.
One cannot figure out a legal system without judiciary. The judicial organs which will interpret the texts are as important as the texts of Constitution and the laws themselves.
Our Party shall ensure the establishment of the maximum confidence in the justice system, which is the guarantee for the social order.
An order that is transparent and devoid of corruption is only possible with a properly functioning judicial system. Our Party considers the solution of important problems faced by the judicial system, from the daily life of individuals to international relations, among its priority targets.
In line with the observations and principles mentioned above, our Party shall implement the following policies:
· Our Party shall prepare a completely new constitutional bill to allow freedoms, responding to the needs of the entire society, conforming to the principle of the State of law and standards of democratic countries, aiming at establishing a new "social contract" between society and the State. This bill shall not be an exercise of "constitutional engineering" but a document reflecting the will and demands of the people to the State structure on a democratic basis. Our proposal for a new Constitution which will be drafted as a brief, concise and clear text will contain the following provisions:
- The chapter pertaining to on the fundamental rights and freedoms shall conform to universal standards.
- The basic features of the republic shall be preserved and only the main provisions of State administration shall be included in it.
- Relations between the legislative, executive and judicial authorities shall be indicated in a clear, concise and understandable manner.
· The principle of the separation of the powers shall be implemented meticulously. Checks and balances shall be ensured between the powers of the legislative, executive and judicial branches.
· Necessary arrangements shall be made for the Parliament to be effective, independent and productive in legislative and security activities.
· In order to clearly separate the legislative and executive authorities from one another, system changes shall be investigated to allow the assignment of all the ministers except for the prime minister from outside the Parliament, and opened to public discussion. Necessary legal arrangements shall be made in view of the compromise which will emerge from the public discussions.
· Our party shall ensure for the collective will to replace the singular wills not only within the party but also in the Parliament and society. Laws shall be the expression of the common will of the society, not just the majority in the Parliament. For this reason, our Party shall draft the bills it will prepare, by taking suggestions from non-governmental organizations.
· After the new constitution goes into effect, all the present laws shall be revised and those, which do not fit the constitutional system, shall be quickly abolished or amended. All bylaws and regulations shall be examined and provisions violating the boundaries drawn by the laws and constitutional principles shall be eliminated.
· The principle that the Constitution and the laws are binding for everyone shall be meticulously applied.
· The habit of not obeying rules shall be eliminated, being off-the- record shall be prevented in every area, laws and rules shall be implemented along the purpose for which they were established and their quality shall reach universal standards.
· The independence of judges and a non-biased judicial system shall be fully ensured; assurances for judges shall be maintained.
· Starting from law education, reforms shall be carried out to increase the quality of law professionals. Lawyers, judges and prosecutors shall be offered domestic and foreign professional training possibilities wherein they can develop their expertise.
· Judges shall be specialized in certain areas such as organized crime, unfair competition, foreign currency transactions, insurance, money laundering, and crimes involving the capital markets.
· Courts shall be equipped with the latest capabilities of technology, their workloads shall be reduced, and court premises shall be given a contemporary appearance. Acting upon the saying, "Justice which comes late is injustice", our Party shall carry out all the arrangements required to accelerate the judicial process.
· In order to fully open court decisions to the public, the required technological infrastructure shall be installed in order for the public to have access especially to all decisions of the Supreme Court.
· The procedure to determine members of the Supreme Court shall be rearranged by taking into consideration the independence of courts, professional criteria, organs to make the assignment and the nation's democratic experiences of democratic countries.
· A judicial enforcement agency shall be established without upsetting the harmony and hierarchy within the law enforcement agencies.
· A system shall be established to protect those who are affected by the crimes. Due to the destruction it causes in the public conscience, amnesty laws shall be avoided in the maximum extent,
· Laws pertaining to legal procedures shall be revised in order to accelerate the effectiveness and functioning of the judiciary and the necessary amendments shall be made.
· Penal institutions shall be modernized to regain the criminal for the society.
· Budget allocations shall be greatly increased in order to fulfill rapidly and at the required quality levels the judicial services, which are one of the most important basic functions of the State.
2.5. DEMOCRATIZATION AND CIVIL SOCIETY
According to our Party; in a democratic society the rules should be put into order by the citizens. For this reason, democracy is a form of government where legal rules are created with the approval of the citizens. The final decision and executive authority in a democracy rest with the organs and institutions created through elections. Basic decisions related with the public life are made by those who are elected. In a democracy sovereignty belongs to the people and this feature is a basic quality separating democratic regimes from all other regimes.
Democracy is a system based on tolerance. In democracies, it is not possible for some of the citizens to benefit from higher rights and freedoms or privileges. Citizens live freely under the equal protection of the laws in democracies.
The competition of different preferences is one of the crucial elements of a healthy democratic system. In this race, those who receive the votes of the majority, come to power, they take up the responsibility of the entire country or local administrations. However, winning the race and coming to power does not make the will of the majority absolute.
One of the most important qualities of contemporary democracy is that the majority will in no circumstances make the fundamental rights and freedoms a topic of discussion and that they shall respect the rights and freedoms of those who are in the minority. Securing the views of the minority and the right to oppose, is considered as an element which strengthens the pluralistic quality of democracy.
The right for citizens to participate in the public decision mechanisms indicates that a democratic regime is not a one-way regime, and that it is a two-way interaction by those who govern and those who are governed. Therefore, the right to participate does not only mean, to be able to vote during the election, but also to have the ways open for the citizens to make, implement and control the implementation of the public decisions.
Our Party perceives democratization as furnishing Turkey's democracy to the full extent with all of these characteristics. Our party shall implement the following policies; in light of these principles considered as crucial in contemporary democracies, but which are before all else, the fundamental conditions of respecting the choice of our own citizens:
· The field of movement and action of political parties which perform the essential function in the participation of citizens into politics, and which are crucial elements of democracy, shall be expanded.
· The party shall impart to its provincial branches a concept of governance based on dialogue, to meet the demands of local administrations, local civilian formations and citizens.
· Taking as a basis the principles pertaining to the democratization of the Copenhagen Criteria which constitute the minimum standards to which members of the European Union must conform, amendments which must be made in our national judicial system shall be carried out in the shortest possible time.
· It shall be made easier to have access to information and documents in order for citizens to participate in the administration and to inspect the administration, thus arrangements shall be carried out to allow citizens to effectively use their right to access to the information.
· Local administrations are the foundation of a participatory and highly representative democracy. All the required constitutional and legal arrangements shall be carried out and functional new administrative units shall be created with a view to strengthen the local administrations which will establish a link in daily life between citizens and the administration.
· Mechanisms shall be created with a view to assessing the opinion, complaints and suggestions for solutions of the citizens on subjects related to their own villages, districts, provinces, and institutions whose services they utilize or where they are employed and to take action on such suggestions.
· Opinions of the non-governmental organizations shall be obtained in order to modify the related legal arrangements and a legal framework shall be drawn up to raise the civil society organizations to the level at contemporary democratic countries.
· Central and local governments shall create joint boards, commissions, crisis management desks and all types of platforms where the views of non-governmental organizations, professional associations, trade unions and representatives of the private sector shall be taken.
· The statute of the civil servants shall be redefined; their right to organize in trade unions will be re-examined.
· With the lowering of the age to be elected to 25, young people will actively participate in democratic processes and the young population will be encouraged to take responsibility in the running of the country.
· Required legal arrangements shall be carried out for the more effective usage of the right to organize meetings and demonstrations, which is one of the basic features of democracies.
2.6. THE EAST AND THE SOUTHEAST
The event, which some of us call the Southeastern, others call the Kurdish or the Terror problem, is unfortunately a reality in Turkey. In cognizance of the negative issues caused by this problem in our social life, our Party shall follow a policy guarding the happiness, welfare, rights and freedoms of the regional population, in a manner not to create a weakness in a sustainable policy which goes beyond the identification of the reality the prevention of the terror threatening the region, the integrity of Turkey, as well as the unitary State structure; a sustainable policy which goes beyond the identification of the reality respectful to the sensitivities of the entire society, efficient and aimed at solving problems at the root.
The cultural diversity in this region is considered richness by our Party. On condition that Turkish remains the official and instruction language, our Party regards the cultural activities in languages other than Turkish, including broadcasting, as an asset which reinforces and supports the unity and integrity of our country, rather than weaken it. The elimination of certain troubles originating from the under -development of the region, are intended to be solved within the scope of the general democratization project, rather than special arrangements aimed at the region.
Despite the terror which has lasted for long years and was maintained with an intense outside support, the fact that the region's population is attached to the unitary State structure, and the fact that the problem did not turn into an ethnic conflict with the common sense of our people, is proof that the issue can be solved as an internal affair.
Our Party aims at putting an end to certain practices which are resorted to as a reaction to terror but, which go beyond their original purpose, and which disturb the region's population. It also aims at abolishing entirely the State of Emergency practices, which have been maintained for many years. We believe that our State must display a deterrent posture towards criminals and a protective posture towards innocents and must treat innocent people with affection.
In the period after the intense terror, no significant steps have been taken in our Eastern and Southeastern Anatolian Regions to eliminate the differences in development between the regions, even to minimize them. Our Party shall provide the needed rehabilitation by starting serious economic projects to increase employment aimed at the region, and implementations to reduce the suffering of our citizens who have been hurt from the terror environment.
Lack of public services, unemployment, poverty and oppression are situations where terror can flourish most conveniently. Terror and oppression respectively feed one another. Any approach, which ignores that terror is a consequence, turns to producing solutions with only oppression. Consequently, this only promotes terror. Therefore, the way to end terror requires an approach by the State, respectful of basic rights and freedoms, and a way of thinking, which sees economic development and security as pieces of the same whole.
In order to render the region attractive for commercial and economic activities, it must no longer look as a dead end street, a dynamic trading environment shall be created with neighboring countries, including border trade. Therefore, our Party shall take all kinds of precautions for the promotion of trade in the region.
Since solutions based on a perception of a bureaucratic and authoritarian State rely solely on the concept of security, in the long term they exacerbate the problems even further. On the other hand, approaches based on the perceptions of a democratic State; end up in reinforcing the unity and integrity of our nation in the long term, although they may be met with concern initially. Thus it is a necessary step in the solution of the problem to realize that the problems in the region cannot be fully solved with just economic development policies, and that above all, approaches, which recognize cultural diversities within the framework of the democratic State of law should prevail.
Cultural diversities do not require that what we have in common with the region's population should be pushed to the background. On the contrary, being a citizen of the Republic of Turkey is the cement of our society.
THE ECONOMY
Development and Democratization
PROGRAM
III. THE ECONOMY
3.1 OUR CONCEPT OF THE ECONOMY
The economic mission of our Party is to increase the welfare and happiness of our people.
Turkey has a great economic development potential with its young and dynamic population, rich natural resources, and people with entrepreneurial spirits, historical and natural beauties and its geo-strategic position.
Our Party shall implement a "Continuous and Sustainable Economic Growth Strategy" in order to put mobilize this rare potential of our country. With the implementation of this strategy, poverty and unemployment shall be reduced, justice will be provided in the distribution of income. Thus, as the time goes by, our country will reach the level of developed countries, the living standards of our citizens shall rise and our country's respectability in the international community shall increase.
In line with this strategy, our Party has determined its economic principles, objectives and policies and has established a concept of government to implement them effectively.
Our Party adopts the following fundamental principles:
· It regards human beings as the resource and objective of economic development.
· It favors market economy operating with all its institutions and rules.
· It recognizes that the State should remain, in principle outside all types of economic activities,
· It defines the function of the State in the economy as a regulator and controller. Therefore, it believes that a healthy system of the flow of information and documents is important.
· It regards the privatization as an important vehicle for the formation of a more rational economic structure.
· It favors that the structural transformations brought about by globalization be carried out with the least cost, and believes that the healthiest way to do this is to increase the international competitive strength. Thus, it accepts that the increasing of our nation's competitive strength carries strategic importance in terms of our political and economic future.
· It believes that foreign capital playing an important role in the transfer of international know-how and experience, will contribute to the development of the Turkish economy.
· It regards the quality, productivity, effectiveness and citizens' satisfaction as the main criteria in the public services.
· It regards, the realization of the ethical values appearing with the mixture of international norms with our cultural values, in every area of economic activities as a precondition of continuous and sustainable growth.
· It believes that our relations with the European Union, World Bank, IMF and other international institutions must be maintained along the lines of the requirements of our economy and our national interests.
Within this framework, our Party's basic objectives are as follows:
· Increasing the production of goods and services.
· Reducing unemployment, preventing a high cost of living and ensuring justice in the distribution of income.
· Eliminating unfair profiteering, unfair competition and inefficient sanctions, which prevent stability in the economy. Not allowing monopolization.
· Providing a change in political and bureaucratic concepts to help private enterprise to advance, by effecting freedom for entrepreneurial activities.
· Achieving developments in foreign trade and increases in exportations.
In order to reach these objectives, our Party will apply the following policies:
· It shall utilize the national resources for creating an economy of production based on know-how, technology and productivity.
· It believes that economic stability can be reached with growth, and growth can take place through investments. Therefore, it shall promote investments to increase employment.
· It shall assist the finance sector to be structured for supporting production and developing new financial techniques.
· It shall make arrangements to reduce regional imbalances and it shall ensure the utilization of the economic potential in all of our regions, effectively and productive.
· Tax reform shall be carried out.
· A reform will be launched as a matter of urgency to improve procedures pertaining to spending of public funds.
· A reform will be launched as a matter of infancy to improve procedures pertaining to spending of public funds.
· It shall ensure a fully defined judicial order conforming to universal standards, a reliable and functioning judicial mechanism, guaranteed property rights, reliable corporate structure and the capability to access markets and resources freely.
· It will make sure that all non-governmental organizations operating in the economic field especially, the chambers of commerce and industry, shall participate in the elaboration and implementation of economic policies.
Our Party believes that a strategy for a continuous and sustainable economic growth could be developed through an effective and reliable administration of the economy.
For this purpose our Party:
· Shall work with an economic administration which is effective, trustworthy and whose nationalistic-ethical values are high.
· It has adopted an understanding of the economy which is realistic, long term, reformist and dynamic, rather than a daily, populist, short-term concept of the economy.
· Believes that the society has the right to be informed about basic macro-indicators correctly and on time. The required legal and administrative arrangements in this subject shall be made.
· The scattered state of the management of the economy shall be eliminated; the number of concerned institutions, their internal structures, the rules governing their cooperation and coordination, administrative techniques and the principles governing the rules governing the policy, production, application and control shall be redefined.
3.2. PUBLIC FINANCE
3.2.1. BUDGET
The allocation and spending of the taxes paid by the people and other people revenues, imputes a great ethical responsibility to governments. The people has the right to question where the taxed paid by them are spent. Budgets must be prepared and applied according to this basic rule.
Our Party:
· Shall take balance and economic stability as a basis in preparing the budget.
· It shall establish mechanisms to install transparency and accountability concerning the budget.
· As a requirement of the concept of "Budget Rights", it shall increase the effectiveness of the parliament in the preparation and auditing of the budget of the government. The basic sizes of the budget shall discuss at the Planning and Budget Commission, and the budgets of various departments shall be discussed at the pertinent specialized commissions.
· Legal regulations shall be prepared, allowing the Supreme Council of Public Accounts to audit budget implementations on behalf of the Grand National Assembly in the real sense, and for deputies of the Grand National Assembly to ask questions to the Supreme Council of Public Accounts regarding public spending. The Supreme Board of Audits shall submit results of the audits to the Parliament rather than the executive organ to which it is attached, and it shall be taken under the umbrella of the Supreme Council of Public Accounts.
· Priority shall be assigned to the rapid realization of the reformation of the procedures governing the public spending , this reformation exercise will aim at the improvements of the performance of the public services which means stability, transparency, effectiveness and productivity.
· Within the amounts of the budget, shares of social spending items such as education and health especially, shall be increased and the quality of these services will be raised to international standards.
· The functioning, as well as the internal and external auditing of funds, revolving capital accounts, foundations, associations, social facilities and special accounts, established within the structures of the public institutions and establishments shall be tied to new principles.
3.2.2. TAXATION
Taxes mean that the public shares with the State a portion of the value it produces. From this point of view, taxes affect the spending and investment decisions of economic units. As the structure and features of taxes affect the direction and shape of spending and investment decisions, tax policies consistent with continuous and sustainable growth are important.
Our Party:
· Shall simplify taxation regulations, shall reduce the number of tax types, shall decrease taxation rates and bring fairness to taxes.
· Shall use taxes more effectively as a vehicle of achieving social and economic targets, rather than just for financial purposes.
3.2.3. PUBLIC DEBTS
Public deficits continue to remain above acceptable levels and this causes problems which affect the whole economy. As a result of this, the public becomes the largest customer of the money markets, the funds which the private sector will use become insufficient, credit costs rise and the functioning of the economy becomes unhealthy.
In order to reduce and control the borrowing requirements of the public, our Party shall;
· Mobilize new sources of income; provide spending discipline and increase efficiency and productivity in public services.
· Monitor the harmony between the real borrowing costs and the growth rate.
· Direct long-term borrowing to investments having the capacity for making repayments.
· Short-term borrowing shall be made for the purpose of regulating the cash balance rather than purposes of financing.
· An effective debt management shall be conducted by taking into consideration the real costs of domestic and foreign debts.
· The efficient coordination shall be worked out between The Treasury, Central Bank, Ministry of Finance and other departments operating in the economic field. Cash flow of all public establishments shall be followed up for the purpose of determining the borrowing requirements.
3.3 PRIVATIZATION
Privatization is important for the formation of a more rational economic structure. Privatization is a vehicle to increase productivity in the economy and to take the State out of activities which could disturb the full competition environment.
Our Party:
· Shall make the legal and administrative arrangements to allow a fast privatization to provide the related social benefits.
· Shall carry out a fast and transparent privatization.
· Privatization transactions shall be subjected to the auditing of the Supreme Council of Public Accounts.
· The shares of the Establishments to be privatized shall initially be offered to employees of the said establishment, regional population and the concerned professional associations and their shares shall be traded in the stock exchanges.
· The required environment of confidence shall be achieved, and our citizens living abroad shall be encouraged to participate in privatization processes.
· National strategic preferences and priorities shall be taken into consideration in the privatization of the critical sectors.
3.4 PRODUCTION AND INVESTMENT POLICIES
Internationally competitive production capability is very important in the achievement of economic stability and implementation of successful economic policies. Economic growth can only be achieved through increases in production. This is the reason why the increase of production, employment and exportations, constitute the foundation of the economic policies to be implemented. The State provides necessary infrastructure for production and promotes production.
Private entrepreneurs, who are the driving force of the of production, invest in an economic environment where political and economic stability prevails; where principles are clear, reliable and transparent; where contracts are tied to strong sanctions; where all macro-economic indicators including inflation, foreign exchange rates and interest rates can be estimated; and where it is possible to make economic calculations. Our Party is determined to create this environment. The environment of trust which will be created will mobilize the entrepreneurial strength already existent in the society. It will also accelerate the entry of foreign capital into our country and thus achieve a significant increase in production.
Our Party:
· Shall launch a genuine production and investment mobilization in Turkey.
· For the sake of the efficient use of resources, will support the creation of economic basins or centers of attraction in agriculture and industry, by taking into consideration issues such as raw materials, energy, labor, transportation and market potential.
· Shall give prominence to incentives likely to reduce, the cost of inputs and to increase quality, productivity and employment.
· Engineering and contracting services abroad, supplying a significant quantity of foreign currency inflow and employment capacity, shall be supported. Will therefore, amend provisions making employment abroad difficult, will widen credit possibilities and start application of risk insurance.
· The National Defense Industry shall be encouraged as a priority.
· Shall support R&D activities.
· Shall encourage Turkish companies to manufacture in international quality standards in order to increase quality and productivity in production.
· Shall expand the implementations of the Build-Operate models in order to realize major investments requiring new technologies.
· Cooperation within the scope of techno-parks shall be developed between industry and universities.
· Employment costs shall be reduced in order to increase the production and competition capacity of the private sector.
· Shall encourage the production and utilization in the private and public sectors of 'New Economy' tools such as computers, Internet and information technologies.
· Shall encourage the production of original patents and industrial designs playing an important role in the increasing of the competitive strength of products.
3.5 INDUSTRIAL PROPERTY
Protection of patents, brands and industrial designs and support of investments to be made in the area of industrial properties is one of the major elements lying underneath the success of developed economies.
Aware of the importance of attracting foreign investments, the transfer of the latest technological developments into our country, the prevention of the brain drain, the increase of exports and the importance of manufacturing based on industrial property for global competition, Our Party shall amend all regulations preventing discoveries and new inventions, shall protect patent and license rights with an understanding suitable to international standards, thus new inventions will be encouraged.
3.6 FOREIGN TRADE
One of the most important political tools of our Continuous and Sustainable Economic Development Strategy is the increase of our exports. Increase of the export volume depends primarily on the increase of the international competitiveness of the economy.
Our Party shall:
· Remove al types of financial, administrative and bureaucratic obstacles in impeding the exports and launch an export mobilization.
· Moving from the fact that exports can be achieved most easily with neighboring countries, will take all types of measures aimed at implementations for the increase of exports to neighboring countries.
· Increase Eximbank equities and encourage the utilization of the capabilities of the banking sector for the financing of exports and manufacturing destined to exports.
· As certain that Turkish missions abroad, intensify their activities aimed at increasing exports.
· Cooperate closely for the development and application of export policies, with professional associations operating in this area.
· Provide incentives for companies to extend the 'Made in Turkey' image abroad.
· Supply R&D and investment support to Small and Medium Scale Enterprises which are oriented towards exports, producing high added value products, in order for them to be able to reduce their manufacturing costs.
· Provide incentives for manufacturing of goods with high export potential and high added value, such as sophisticated materials, electrical and electronic products, defense and space systems, automotive industry and similar areas.
· Take up regional trade as a major synergy vehicle of continuous and sustainable economic development.
3.7 FINANCIAL SERVICES
The financial services sector plays an important role in the system of economic structure and in the network of relations, due to the strong forward and backward connections it possesses. Having an important role in the supply of money and purchasing power and its transfer into the economy, it is essential that financial institutions should operate efficiently and productively.
The necessary environment shall be prepared for the real and relative balances of inflation, interest rates, foreign exchange and other monetary variables, to be indicators to reflect the cost of opportunities. In this manner, the dynamism and competitive ability of the economic units shall be increased. Thus, it will be possible for the dynamism and competitive tendencies to increase in the decision making and implementing processes of economic units.
For this purpose:
· It will be made possible for savings rates to be raised, for savings to be utilized in the economy, for financial brokerage types and transactions suitable to economic and socio-cultural needs to be initiated and developed. Emphasis will be given to the diversification of the sector in terms of financial institutions and financial tools, and the increase in the depth of the markets.
· Coordination among institutions regulating and controlling the sector shall be reinforced and these institutions will be provided with the ability of conducting effective audits.
· Measures shall be taken for the international competitive strength of the sector.
· Private insurance systems shall be encouraged for the purpose of protecting the means and resources possessed by our country's economic units and the supply of funds which the economy needs. Reassurance services in the insuring of the production of goods and services and professional activities shall be developed and expanded in our country in order to develop the legality of liability and to raise the quality of production and services.
· Savings deposits reassurance systems shall be regulated in accordance with the standards of the European Union.
· It will be made a widespread practice for financial Statements of financial institutions to be prepared in a transparent and realistic manner.
· Evaluations of financial institutions will have to be carried out by credit rating companies.
The capital markets which assume an active role in the spreading of capital to the grass roots and in the financing of investments at suitable terms possess an important position for reaching the target of continuous and sustainable economic growth and for the improvement of international competitive strength.
In this framework:
· Cooperate investors will be encouraged to enter the market with a view to making the capital markets deeper and more effective.
· Structure and functioning of capital markets shall be improved.
· The Istanbul Securities and Stock Exchange shall be brought to an international rank.
· Forms of financings such as real estate property investment partnerships and risk capital investment partnerships shall be made attractive and improved.
· Necessary sanctions will be applied to prevent all types of transactions based on inside information in the capital markets.
· Rights of small shareholders shall be protected in the capital markets.
· Futures markets will be supported to increase the ability of making estimations in the markets, and to limit the effects of the fluctuations in the capital markets over the economy.
3.8 TRADESMEN, ARTISANS, SMALL AND MEDIUM SCALE ENTERPRISES
Tradesmen, artisans and Small and Medium Scale Enterprises, making important contributions for the creation of production, employment and added value in our country, are the backbone of our economic and social structure.
One of the major targets of our party is to support tradesmen, artisans and Small and Medium Scale Enterprises, with the most effective methods with the view to rebuilding the middle class of our country.
In this framework:
· A plan including, among other measures, financing support based on projects, tax incentives and a plan including the reduction of bureaucratic obstacles shall be implemented.
· Protection from unfair competition will be extended to tradesmen, artisans and Small and Medium Scale Enterprises against large corporations.
· Foreign trade companies operating in a given sector shall be supported so that the companies operating in similar fields could export the goods they produce more efficiently and productively.
· Artisans and tradesman will be given a chance to contribute to the decision making process of the local administrations on subjects pertaining their area of activity.
· The support of the State and local administrations shall be increased in the establishment and expansion of training centers supplying apprenticeship training to artisans and tradesman.
3.9 AGRICULTURE, ANIMAL HUSBANDRY AND FORESTRY
Our basic aim is to increase the productivity and production in the agricultural sector, to ensure the stability of producers' revenues, to assure the rational usage of incentives aimed at this sector.
In order to achieve this goal:
· Measure shall be taken with a view to transform the production units in the agricultural sector into an economic enterprise.
· Utilization of technologies to increase productivity and decrease costs of inputs shall be encouraged is in the rural areas.
· Commodity exchanges shall be established in areas where agricultural production is concentrated, and these exchanges shall be driven to carry out futures transactions in the commodities.
· Policies shall be developed to transfer in a healthy manner the redundant labor in agriculture to other sectors.
· Export companies shall be supported to supply the agricultural products to the world markets.
· Our farmers shall be protected against losses in natural disasters, through the agricultural insurance to be developed.
· Ecological agricultural and production of high quality seeds shall encouraged.
Regarding stock breeding:
· The proportion of high productivity bred animal races within the general population of animal stocks shall be increased.
· Taking into account the geographical structure of our country, production of sea and freshwater food products shall be encouraged.
· Taking into account the economical structure of our country, growing of animal feed plants shall be encouraged.
· Livestock auctions shall be restructured and shall be converted so as to be able to carry out forward term transactions.
· In the Eastern and Southeastern Anatolian Regions where the animal husbandry potential is high, this sector will be revitalized.
Regarding forestry:
· A Forestry Master Plan aimed at least towards the coming 50 years shall be prepared. Along the lines of a national forestry policy to be determined in accordance with the changing national and world conditions.
· Measures shall be taken to give people living in forest areas a say in the protection of forests.
· Forest villagers shall be issued usage rights and preservation liabilities, especially in forestry products other than trees; with the condition of property rights remaining vested in the State, for the sustainability of our forests.
· Private forestry shall be supported and trees whose fruits, seeds and flowers are useful shall be encouraged to be raised at the correct ecologies by the private sector.
3.10 ENERGY
The basis of our Party's energy policy consists of assuring the reliability and sustainability of the energy supply by protecting our national interests, creating an energy market based on competition, and protecting the environment and human health for which we are sensitive.
Along this policy:
· Present facilities not operated effectively and productively shall be privatized in the soonest time, these facilities will be renewed and their capacities will be increased.
· New investments shall be made more widespread with build-operate models.
· Serious scientific and technical projects shall be started in the subject of hydrogen energy, which is the energy of the future; the necessary studies will be performed for transition into implementation with other advanced nations.
· Privatization and license issuing procedures shall be fully transparent and open to competition.
· Projects preventing energy losses and waste shall be supported; the awareness for energy savings shall be expanded throughout the country.
· Alongside energy sources such as the sun, wind, geothermal and biomass, the installation by the private sector of hydroelectric power plants and thermal power plants based on domestic coal, equipped with new technologies, with high productivity, harmless to the environment, shall be supported.
· Oil and natural gas exploration shall be encouraged.
· As alternatives to power plants where foreign origin natural gas is used or as substitute investments, nuclear energy power plants shall be built by taking the required safety and environmental protection measures. Thus, the inexpensive energy required by the economy shall be supplied.
· Dependence on a single source for energy shall be avoided.
· Our Party is aware that our country is in the position of a bridge for the foreign sourced petroleum and natural gas to open up to world markets. This strategic position shall be used effectively and our country will be converted into a distribution terminal.
3.11 MINING
The richness of our underground resources provides our country a comparative advantage . Our Party shall rapidly implement an efficient mining program emphasizing our national interests in order for these resources to contribute to the national economy.
Our target shall be to provide input into the domestic industry with high added value products and to increase the quantity and diversity of our exports.
Within this scope:
· An intense period of activity shall be started by making use of our technical manpower and our accumulation of experience, by observing environmental issues at every stage.
· The private sector shall be supported, foreign capital shall be encouraged and obstacles in front of fast and productive manufacturing processes shall be eliminated.
· Exploration, operation, production and exportation of strategic minerals shall be carried out using scientific and technological methods.
· Taking into consideration their strategic characteristics, our mines shall be either operated by using different methods or privatized.
3.12 TRANSPORTATION AND COMMUNICATIONS
Our Party believes that transportation and communications constitutes one of the most important infrastructures in the national economy of our country.
Therefore, it is our basic target to establish a transportation and communications infrastructure, ensuring integration within the elements of transport, offering a rapid and economical service, able to provide the highest contribution to the purpose of growth and not destroying the environment.
In order to raise the transportation and communications system in our country to contemporary standards our Party will:
· Implement the land, sea, air and railroad Transportation Master Plan to bring the optimum balance between the transport systems.
· Assign special priority to the development of railroads in the framework of contemporary business management concepts, together with the private sector.
· State highways shall be turned into divided motorways, the efficiency of training, inspection and engineering services will be increased in order to improve road safety .
· Allow the rejuvenation and renewal of our maritime fleet, move port operations to autonomous port management and privatize harbor services.
· Increase the international competitive strength of our merchant fleet.
· Support our shipbuilding sector in a manner to meet the requirements of both domestic and foreign ship owners.
· Cooperate with professional chambers and non-governmental organizations for the protection of maritime environment.
· Raise the standards and capacities of our airport and encourage the establishment of private aviation companies.
· Promote the establishment and expansion of telecommunications, radio, television and information networks; offering inexpensive, productive, high quality and reliable services in the free competition environment, allowing the user alternative selection possibilities.
3.13 TOURISM
Turkey has a great tourism potential with its historical and cultural accumulation of wealth, variety of natural beauty resorts and friendly population.
Our Party believes that, a conscious effort as needed in order to allocate this potential in Turkey to the service of tourism. The increase of tourism revenues in Turkey and the diversification of tourist regions depend on the close monitoring of economic, social and cultural developments in the world and the efficient promotion of our tourism potential.
In the framework of these general principles:
· The institutional and legal infrastructure of the tourism sector shall be improved.
· The Tourism Master Plan, increasing the diversity of products in tourism, identifying the priorities, ensuring the contribution of the local initiative, drawing up and assessing the tourism inventory of our country, projects for local promotion, shall be prepared by cooperating with professional organizations.
· For the purpose of improving the seasonal and geographical distribution of tourism, and to create potential areas by taking into account changing consumer preferences in foreign markets, policies to develop winter, mountain, valley, river, thermal, health, belief, yacht, congress, fair and third generation tourism will be worked out.
· The required support shall be provided to exhibition organization companies and travel agencies in order to expand congress and fair tourism.
· Development of domestic and foreign tourism will be supported in accordance with the characteristics of various regions which possess a rich potential in terms of cultural and historical heritage.
3.14 CONSUMER PROTECTION
Our basic objectives in the area of consumer protection are: the creation of a fair balance between consumers and producers-suppliers prevention of harm or damages to the consumer, maintenance of a healthy communication between consumers and suppliers.
Along the lines of these basic objectives;
· The Consumer Protection Law will be rearranged in the framework of universal consumer rights.
· Consumers courts shall gain become operational; consumers' ways to seek their rights shall be simplified.
· Legal regulations shall be established for the solution of the problems encountered by consumers in their contracts and the institutional structure to facilitate practically and financially the use of legal means.
· Product and professional liability insurance shall be made mandatory regarding the goods and services for the sake of protection of consumer rights.
PUBLIC ADMINISTRATION
Development and Democratization
PROGRAM
IV. PUBLIC ADMINISTRATION
4.1 OUR PERCEPTİON OF PUBLIC ADMINISTRATION
The highest form of organization provided by the Constitution and the legislation, possessing the right and authority to use the government for the benefit of the society is the public administration. Contemporary public administration must admit the service to people and society as the highest priority purpose when using these rights and authorizes.
A democratic government that provides high quality services by maintaining social justice and development, and the public administration to reach the ability to constantly develop itself, are amongst our fundamental objectives.
Our Party aims at placing the understanding of public administration in the axis of democratization, localization and civilianization.
Our Party believes that the contemporary government must possess the following characteristics:
· The concept of the "constitutional State", where universal rights and freedoms of the citizens are guaranteed, and where these freedoms are most efficiently guarded must be sovereign in the running of the state. The State must use the powers and authorities within the framework of the Constitution.
· A transition shall be rapidly made to a government concept where as much authority, task and function are transferred to local governments, and where many government functions can be carried our by local administrations, holding the power at the control administration.
· As a requirement of our social State concept, the State has the obligation to assume the responsibility of the social welfare. For this reason, the State has to implement efficiently the programs pertaining to social security, social assistance and social services.
· The State must withdraw from all service areas and remain exclusively in the areas of foreign security, justice, basic education, health and infrastructure services, which are its basic functions as an executing body, whereas its regulating and inspecting functions must continue.
· All citizens should adopt the principle of democratic administration, where the people will elect its representatives with its own volition and will bring its contribution to the administration, thus sovereignty of the people should be recognized by all citizens and especially by the public servants .
· Transparency, accountability and foresee ability in the public administration shall be introduced in every area and stage of the government.
4.2 CENTRAL GOVERNMENT
The basis of public administration is to serve the people. It is crucial for central government to be restructured in order to better serve our citizens, to increase productivity and quality in services.
As a requirement of our perception of government and the need for restructuring in the public administration, our Party shall bring about the following policies:
· All public administrations and institutions shall be restructured with a concept of administration aimed at the target of satisfying citizens, and they shall be transformed into establishments of international quality standards.
· All necessary arrangements shall be made in order for the central government to take into account the principles of productivity, openness and efficiency in its transactions and acts, and to be sparing in its spending and respectful to the environment.
· Many services rendered at present by the central government in our country shall be transferred to the local public establishments and agencies and local administrations, and, if possible to the private sector. The administrations of public agencies and institutions responsible for executing the main functions of the State shall be vested with a structure, which is fast and works productively.
· The Prime Ministry shall cease to appear as a giant service ministry. The areas of jurisdiction of the ministries shall be reorganized and the number of ministries shall be reduced.
· The central and rural organizations of ministries shall be restructured without delay in accordance with the requirements of age we live in, and characteristics of the service areas, by taking into consideration measures such as quality, productivity, provision of services thus, public funds will be saved.
· Auditing authorities of the central government over the local governments shall be rearranged in conformity with the policies of local administration.
· Except for imperative cases, regional administrations of the public institutions shall be abolished, and fair and equitable criteria shall be introduced for the establishment of new provinces and townships.
· The 'range of authority' and 'separation of duties' principles shall be revised and provincial bodies shall be granted the authority to make decisions on selected issues.
· Principles to which autonomous agencies and institutions will be subjected, the manner of electing the members of these organs, which areas they will be established in and their relations with the central government shall be revised with a democratic approach.
· The Concept of "exceptional task" in the legislation pertaining to personnel matters of the central administration shall be redefined and the top officials to be changed with the political governments in power shall be defined by law, and the replacement of officials other than those defined shall be prevented.
· Bureaucratic formalities shall be reduced, and the State shall cease to be cumbersome. Structural weaknesses of the central government such as nepotism and partisanship shall bring to an end.
· All of the State agencies shall be made to benefit from innovations in information and communications technologies, and new technological developments shall be quickly reflected into the function of public administration.
· A new law on administrative procedures will be enacted to introduce a general legal arrangement for the purpose of defining the modalities of making decision and implementation.
4.1 LOCAL ADMINISTRATION
Our time is an age of globalization; from one standpoint and an age of localization from another, and the weight of local administrations within state has increased.
Democracy is not any more just electing and being elected, at the same time it is perceived as a regime of participation and cooperation. That means; participation and cooperation are vital in local governments.
The actual problem in the area of local administrations is that our democracy lacks depth. This is the case in many areas of public life in Turkey. What must be done is to transfer the principles and practices of pluralistic democracy, which is becoming widespread in the present day, to local administrations in conformity with contemporary concepts of economy and public administration. Within these lines, our Party will:
· Grant local administrations the authority to develop types of administration in accordance with local requirements.
· Ensure that local administrations possess the financial strength at the level and diversity to meet the required spending costs in order to fulfill their duties.
· Allow the participation of non-governmental organizations in the decision-making processes of local administrations and in some of their activities.
· Adopt the principle of consulting with local administrations before passing regulations related to their own fields.
· In accordance with the European Charter on the Autonomy of the Local Administrations, allow the inclusion of the rights of local administrations in our constitutional system. All arrangements shall be made including the right of local administrations to apply for court judgments.
· The inspection and monitoring of local administration shall be proportional to the significance of the interests to be protected.
· Adopt objective criteria for the establishment of metropolitan municipalities. Rearrange the distribution of duty-authority between 'greater metropolitan area municipalities' and the municipalities of townships in a manner so as not to cause interruptions in the services.
· Carry out a local government aimed at defining the boundaries of the municipalities as the boundaries of administrative units.
4.4 PUBLIC PERSONNEL MANAGEMENT
The duty of public personnel is to perform public services in a manner to satisfy the citizens. A scornful attitude displayed by civil servants towards the citizen is unacceptable. Public servants must display a behavior, which would regard the citizens as a "client" who is his or her reason for existence.
On the other hand, state must pay the civil servants the wages and grant the social assistance commensurate with the job performed by them. Successful personnel must be rewarded materially and morally. The State must at the same time constantly train its own personnel and adapt them to the changing conditions.
Within the framework of these principles, our Party shall follow the policies below;
· Standard cadres will, be established according to service requirements and filled, in accordance with objective criteria.
· The principle of career and merit shall be taken as a basis for public personnel and the recruitment for government employees shall be carried out according to these criteria.
· Perform the legal regulations allowing the top-level officials executing the tasks of planning, decision making, controlling, inspecting, auditing and consulting, to be employed within the status of "exceptional civil servant".
· Make the necessary legal arrangements in order to eliminate the distinction of workers and civil servants within public personnel, currently causing several problems.
· Carry out productivity analyses in public agencies and institutions, eliminate unnecessary formalities, cancel agencies and units without function, and adopt a horizontal organization model.
· Salaries of public personnel shall be determined according to the task performed and their merits. The same wages shall be paid for the same or similar jobs, the principle of equal pay for equal work shall be applied, institutional salary privileges between similar agencies shall be abolished, adequate wages shall be paid to public personnel, in conformity with the principle of productivity. Necessary amendments shall be made to the statutes concerning public personnel, in line with the objectives mentioned above.
· Lift obstacles in the subject of trade unions and political rights and prevent the unnecessary intervention of politicians to public officials.
4.5 SECURITY
Security is the State's most essential and crucial function. Turkey's geographical position renders issues of security even more important for our country.
It is a requirement of our national interests to minimize dependence upon foreign countries in the area of domestic and foreign security equipment. Therefore, the development of the national defense industry is a basic subject to be considered with a wide range perspective in the long term.
In the present day, security policies of Sates are created according to a rational and dynamic concept, where the maximum benefit can be obtained at the minimum cost and the economic realities of the country are kept in mind.
The long-term security of Turkey involves the economic development of our nation as a whole. Our Party shall take into account this fact in assessing the resources of the country.
In the civilized world, every security requirement is satisfied in harmony with the democratic system.
Security policies of our Party shall be implemented through the following two basic approaches:
· Constant dialogue and agreement shall be assured between security agencies and political decision-making mechanisms, in the handling of both foreign, as well as internal security concerns.
· The National Security Council, which provides an exchange of views between the Armed Forces and the political powers in the areas of security and defense, shall be restructured in accordance with the standards of the European Union, taking into consideration examples in democratic countries.
4.6 COMBAT AGAINST CORRUPTION
In recent years, our nation has entered a vicious circle corruption stemming from the misuse of political power. The volume of corruption is increasing each passing year in the public administration. Combating against all types of corruption is a high priority task of our Party especially the corruption that stems from the misuse of public power.
For this purpose, our Party shall follow the policies below:
· A comprehensive program for fighting corruption shall be prepared and put into implementation immediately. Transparency in the public administration and revising of bid regulations shall be taken up within the scope of this program.
· An office will be established to provide coordination between all agencies and institutions in the prevention, identification, investigation and prosecution of corruption; this office shall coordinate the policies and measures against corruption it shall constantly monitor the strategy for fighting against corruption.
· Non-governmental organizations active in combating corruption shall be allowed to participate in inspections for corruption: The State will utilize directly and rapidly the studies carried out by non-governmental organizations in this area.
· Special criteria shall be adopted for the assignment of personnel to be employed in the public administration where the likelihood of corruption is high, while controlling such personnel shall be subjected to a special procedure.
· Authorities of concerned Chief Prosecutors' Offices shall be increased for combating corruption in public administration.
· Special offices shall be established to monitor corruption in all agencies and institutions. Alongside this internal control, independent external audit establishments shall also be utilized. When these units indicate cases of corruption, the case shall be immediately submitted to the specialized prosecutors.
· The Ministry of Finance shall create a system to investigate the correctness of property declarations made by public officials.
· A special law will be enacted to regulate the right provided by the present constitution to the Supreme Council of Public Accounts to carry out audits on behalf of the Grand National Assembly, shall achieve a legal basis.
· Turkey's participation in the Group of States Against Corruption (GRECO) created within the framework of the Council of Europe shall be realized .Two conventions prepared by the council of Europe but not yet signed by Turkey, namely "Convention on the Penal Code against Corruption" and " Convention on Civil Code on Corruption" will be signed and satisfied without delay .
SOCIAL POLICIES
Development and Democratization
PROGRAM
V. SOCIAL POLICIES
5.1 OUR PERCEPTION OF SOCIAL POLICY
Acting on the assumption that the government is a vehicle for serving the public, our Party shall conduct social policies to assure the welfare and happiness of all our citizens, rather than just one class or category.
In this sense, special programs shall be created for the poor, senior citizens needing care, needy children, the unemployed and the citizens who are facing hardship shall not be made to feel abandoned and lonely. It is unavoidable to introduce a concept of a Social State, which cares unemployed, poor, needy, ill and handicapped people and which allows them to live in a way that commensurate with human honor.
Our Party shall make sure that the central government cooperates with local administrations, non-governmental organizations and the private sector, to ensure that productivity, speed and resource capacity are increased in the social services rendered the State.
No one shall be allowed to practice discrimination against anyone due to his or her physical or mental handicaps. Cooperation shall be established with local governments and non-governmental organizations to take structural measures in all public areas such as urban areas, businesses, and schools to facilitate the lives of the handicapped. Special education and training capabilities aimed at the handicapped shall be increased, credits shall be made available to them, and tax exemptions shall be allowed to establish business. Handicapped citizens and the non-governmental organizations, which represent them, shall form joint committees and commissions with the central administration. Arrangements shall be made to facilitate the manufacture and importation of the necessary equipment required for the handicapped.
Projects shall be encouraged to rehabilitate street children, beggars and the homeless, as well as to prevent their numbers from rising.
Public agencies and institutions shall assume responsibilities for the purpose of preserving the natural resources and the environment from which future generations shall benefit, for preventing the monopolization, for eliminating imbalances between regions, protection of the poor, production of goods and services not supplied by the markets and for the conformity to equitable criteria of all arrangements made in the public area.
Financial discipline shall be observed when public authorizes will be spending funds for special purposes. However, this spending will not be allowed to interrupt the functioning of the economy, disrupting confidence or causing instability, as a result of inflationist and populist implementations.
In order to secure the social security, social assistance and social services to be administered in common, they shall be gathered under one single ministry. Necessary measures shall be taken for these agencies to work out common norms and standards, to create basic statistical data, enable an actuarial balance and to make use of their assets in the most productive manner.
5.2 EDUCATION
According to our Party program, education is the most important element of development in every area. Societies, which do not make use of their social capital in the most effective manner, are doomed to lose their chances of competition. Therefore, our Party believes that the first priority shall be allocation of the resources to education. Weaknesses to be created in this area cannot be replaced with superiority in any other area. Furthermore, the high levels to be attained in the area of education raise the total quality of all other areas. Approaching education with this awareness, our Party considers the elimination of the constant increase in the weaknesses in this area, to be one of its urgent objectives.
Turkey is going through chaos in the field of education. The quality of education is much below the point where it should be. The equality of opportunity in education is disappearing each passing day. The educational system has been transformed into the arena of ideological struggles. Education is being given without any research or employment plans. Most of our educational establishments are far from a realistic understanding, including institutions of higher education. Such institutions are raising candidates to become unemployed graduates.
Thus, our Party will initiate a radical reform movement in the area of education.
· Pre-school education, which is quite deficient in our country, should be widespread with the cooperation of the public and private sectors.
· The curriculum of basic education shall be revised in accordance with the requirements of our times, our needs and the skills to be gained by the students. Provision of the basic educational services shall be transferred through pilot applications to local administrations and to provincial branches of the central administration. The National Ministry of Education shall be placed into a position of controlling, regulating and imposing standards. In poor regions, education shall be supported through special programs created by the State.
· Compulsory education, which is currently eight years, shall be reorganized so as to allow options and orientation in stages, and it shall be raised to eleven years within a reasonable time by accelerating infrastructure studies.
· Current circumstances produce results which are unfair, which become targets of criticism and which reduce the motivation of students. This practice shall be brought to an end and equal opportunity shall be granted to all graduates of high schools and equivalent schools, in the university entrance exams.
· The government shall offer elementary education free of charge. The educational quality of public schools shall be increased; their technological capabilities shall be developed. An educational concept shall be adopted to impart participatory habits, developing the processes of decision making and analysis, promoting the freedom of minds and productivity, offering pluralistic values, raising the awareness of citizenship, teaching latest developments and technologies. In this conversion, experiences of democratic and developed countries could be adopted. Schools that train teachers shall be rearranged taking into consideration of aforementioned points and present system shall be improved through in-job training and adopting latest technologies.
· "Selective courses" shall be introduced starting with the fifth year of elementary education. Students shall be enabled to orient themselves towards general or trade schools based on their tendencies and their abilities.
· In order to attract private sector investments in education, government incentives shall be provided. By this method private educational institutions can be expanded and present schools can operate up to %100 capacity. The State shall buy services for the purpose of providing poor families the opportunity of sending their children to private schools, success being the criteria. Demand shall be created and the private sector will be induced to allocate resources to investments in the field of education.
· Special emphasis will be given to schools aiming at a specific professions Pre-university education shall be restructured to teach professions, beyond just supplying diplomas. Chambers of Commerce and Industry together with non-governmental organizations shall determine the areas where the business community needs qualified workers, and they shall develop up to date professional training programs suitable for the requirements of the market. For those who cannot attend long-term school programs, institutions shall be created to provide short-term professional training to give job-related education. Special support programs in professional training shall be provided to the areas of high development priority.
· Students shall benefit from educational services in accordance with their experience and skills. In this sense, students whose financial status does not allow them shall also be able to receive a high quality education.
· A loan system shall be adopted for students attending state universities, whereby they can pay for their tuition and fees and maintain a decent live. The principles and basis of the assistance for the poor students shall be established.
· Institutes of higher education established to meet the need for intermediate employees shall be restructured with a view to enabling them with high caliber training.
· Universities shall be granted the opportunity to initiate joint projects with local administrations, chambers and businessmen. Arrangements shall be effected for local governments and the private sector to develop their relations with universities.
· The central government shall support research and technological development programs at universities in areas where the State has needs and provide funds to universities in certain subjects. Thus, our universities shall be enabled to remain in cooperation with the industry, to become institutions looking for practical uses; they shall be prevented from looking cut off the society and real life.
· Higher education in Turkey has shown a major advancement in quantitative terms; however, it has not had the same success qualitatively. A radical reform is necessary in higher education. The Supreme Board of Higher Education shall provide coordination between universities and universities shall be converted into institutions enjoying administrative and academic autonomy, without pressure, coercion or anti-democratic actions against students, where scientific knowledge is produced and research and instructional activities are the norms.
· The premises of schools shall be improved from the standpoint of, architectural styles, physical equipment and educational capabilities. The physical structure of the premises shall be designed in a manner to loose the education on courses rather than classes. The uniform Public Building model shall be relinquished in the construction of schools, and a flexible style of building shall be adapted.
· School Parents-Teachers Associations, advisors' systems shall be supported with projects to be prepared by social scientists and reinforced.
· Since foreign languages are of great importance in the dialogue between individuals, societies and international communities; the quality in the instruction of foreign languages will be enriched with modern means and equipment. While our Party encourages the instruction of foreign languages, it shall stimulate the use of Turkish as the language of science.
· Citizens living abroad and their children will be enabled to receive instruction suitable to their requirements.
· As a requirement of the principle of secularism all facilities shall be provided for our citizens to learn their religion. In addition to the lessons of Religious Culture and Ethic Science, based on the wishes of the parents, the provision of selective Religion Lessons shall be made optional.
Developing technologies provide individuals the means to receive instruction in the Internet environment. These types of implementations by universities shall be encouraged; arrangements shall be made to allow students to benefit from instruction supplied in the Internet environment.
Foundation universities shall be supported. The principles of the financial assistance provided to these universities from the National budget shall be reestablished.
Special emphasis shall be placed on the teaching of handicapped students; activities of associations, foundations and social aid agencies operating for this purpose shall be especially supported.
CULTURE AND ARTS
Turkey is turning each passing day into a country where materialistic concerns are at the forefront, elements enriching our spiritual world and ornamenting our emotions are pushed aside. Our people are pushed to live in a world without color, without poetry, without content, where aesthetic issues are not deemed to be important. This is why the significance of culture and cultural policies are increasing constantly.
Every cultural form reflects the understanding, taste and aesthetics of its own age. Cultures renovate themselves by becoming enriched with their own internal dynamics and cultural exchanges. In this sense, it is difficult for cultures without tradition which are unable to present their own identity in a unique manner, to compete with foreign cultures. Activities to be performed by our country in the areas of culture and arts shall increase our respectability in the international community.
Our country possesses a rich cultural accumulation and texture, which is the result of thousands of years of history.
Our Party;
Shall spend maximum effort in the subject of protecting and developing nationalist values. We accept cultural interaction as richness, since it is assumed that there is no pure language, music or architecture, etc. in the world.
Our Party aims at raising the interaction between universal values and the national culture to the highest point, while preserving the basic structure and style in our national culture, and believes that this is the way to create a true contemporary cultural atmosphere. It is the basis of our Party's culture policy to take these two areas out of the realm of conflict and to take advantage of the wealth of both elements.
Our Party considers deficient and unhealthy the present structure, approach and understanding in the fields of language, literature, folklore, music, plastic arts, ethnography, cinema, drama, etc. which are the vehicles carrying the culture, drama, Experts in all these areas and non-governmental organizations shall provide their views to develop new and satisfactory policies.
A special emphasis shall be placed on the development of plastic arts and the advancement of Turco-Islamic arts. Local administrations shall play a primary role in the field of art. All legal arrangements on the subject shall be made rapidly.
Cultural deterioration, excessive display of indecent and violent acts, the removal of books from our lives each passing day, shall be issues that our party shall deem as priorities to combat against.
All projects, aiming at promoting and contributing to the development of the cultural and artistic wealth of our nation, shall be supported. The expansion of multi-purpose culture centers and cultural houses shall also be supported.
5.4 PUBLIC HEALTH
Our party deems the fulfillment of public health services as one of the crucial elements of the social State concept. The social security umbrella shall be established so as to cover the entire population. The State has the obligation to provide basic health services to everyone, if necessary by cooperating with the private sector. An effective and high quality public health system is crucial for a worthy population.
Aimed at these objectives,
Expansion of preventative medical services shall be encouraged; necessary measures shall be taken regarding the health of the population and the environment. Educational and awareness studies shall be carried out to prevent injuries occurring due to traffic accidents, work accidents, acts of neglect, and leading to handicaps.
The area of public health services is open to volunteer agencies and the private sector, led by preventative and treatment services.
Mother and child health is of special importance in our country, since the rate of mother and child deaths are high.
Awareness creating information activities shall be emphasized to achieve family planning.
The system of family physician shall be put into implementation. The Ministry of Health shall determine the types of the clinics, and set their standards of physical conditions and the physicians. The State shall offer inexpensive loans for the establishment of these offices. Thus, first stage health services shall be supplied to the public in a secure and high quality manner. The method of referral of the patients to hospitals will be improved and this will avoid unnecessary queues in the specialized hospitals.
Health care system shall be planned and controlled by the Ministry of Health. The Ministry's role shall only be that of organization, coordination, leadership, inspection, monitoring, policy making. Thus health care services will be directed from one center so that, any irregularities and having too many chiefs will be prevented. Short, medium and long-term health care policies shall be redefined more realistically; in line with the national requirement management and implementations shall be more economical.
With the implementation of the new health care system by the Ministry of Health, all local administrations shall be integrated therein, and shall plan rapidly after indicating their requirements. Taking into account health profiles of areas within their boundaries and responsibilities, local administrations shall also determine their short, medium and long-term health care policies. The Ministry of Health shall execute the coordination of these studies.
Emergency service units shall be established in metropolitan areas. One of the most urgent problems experienced in the health care field in metropolitan areas in the present day is that the emergency service requirements are be fully met. Citizens will no longer be turned back from hospital doors due to lack of emergency service units.
Specialized hospitals shall be established due to and the fact that their practicality and economical services. Thus, less expensive and more specialized health care services shall be provided.
As the ratio of mass injuries, natural disasters and their damages are higher in our country than world averages, the necessary arrangements shall be taken at the concerned agencies and training institutions.
Necessary precautions shall be taken for increasing the quality of education in health and education planning shall be done in accordance with world standards. Foundations and the private sector shall be able to open schools for the education of nurses, nursing colleges, and health care technicians' schools. The State shall supply incentives and support to institutions providing these educational services.
Rights of health care workers shall be redefined and be made to conform to international standards. The policy of wages and salaries in the health sector shall be revised.
Legal arrangements shall be made to protect patient rights. The Code of Patient Rights shall be revised in accordance with the world standards. Citizens shall be given duties in the monitoring of health units.
Rules of competition shall be determined in the health services and legal regulations related to these shall be carried out. Competition in quality shall be encouraged; ISO quality standards studies in the health care sector shall be started throughout the country.
Transition will be carried out to a computer centered; single headquarters control system in the health care sector. Therefore costs will decrease, while productivity and quality will increase in the health care sector. Through a health care number to be issued to each citizen, health problems shall be quickly and reliably monitored from all units, also each citizen shall have a file at the health center where he or she is registered, no matter where they receive treatment, all information shall be collected in this file.
Many hospital buildings have been built in small settlement areas without doctors, health care personnel or medical equipment. Rather than continuing these investments made for the sake of populist policies, with new ones being requested every day; it is both more rational and more economical to build better-equipped hospitals at centers and use them as central medical units. It is among our Party's objectives to create an ambulance fleet, including helicopters to transport patients between the above centers and small settlement areas.
Special support funds will be created for scientific research in the medical field.
News on the field of health care shall be monitored through the media and broadcasts on health care shall be supported.
Attractive measures shall be taken in order to induce health care personnel working abroad to return to Turkey to serve their countries, as in every field, possibilities of reversing the brain drain in this area too, will be investigated.
Chambers of Physicians and Chambers of Dental Surgeons shall be reinforced; the establishment of new non-governmental organizations to serve in the area of health care shall be supported.
Pharmaceutical and medical equipment industries shall be supported, incentives provided for health care investments shall be regulated again.
Arrangements shall be made for the Forensic Medicine to operate autonomously and according to scientific standards. All technological innovations in this field shall be brought into our country.
Our hospitals shall be operated at full capacity throughout the country.
An efficient general health care insurance system to cover all our citizens shall be adopted.
5.5 SOCIAL SECURITY
Our Party considers social security to be constitutional right and considers a duty of the State to ensure that each and every citizen should benefit from this right. For this reason, within the scope determined by the constitution, a social security policy befitting the social State concept shall be created, social security shall cover the entire population and each individual shall be issued a social security number. Services offered within the scope of social security shall be provided in a manner, which conforms to human dignity, it shall be possible for those who pay premiums and receive services to have a say in the monitoring of these services.
In view of from the fact that the most important and effective tool of social policy implementations is the social security system, our Party shall stress the importance of social security within the triple chain of social insurance, social services and social aid, subjecting social security to a serious and scientific assessment in terms of norms and standards.
Social security services, having reached a significant budget size, are active within the organisms of various ministries and they look appear scattered. The social security units shall be brought together under the roof of a single ministry and a consolidated social security budget shall be created with the inclusion of social insurance, social services and social aid regimes and sub-sectors. Necessary arrangements shall be made for this budget to sit on a rational basis in terms of norms and standards.
Measures shall be taken for improvements in the actuarial structure and financial status of the Retirement Fund, Social Security Agency (SSK) and Bağ-Kur, which are premium paying regimes and which interest a large mass of population; while a uniformity of norms and standards shall also be ensured.
In order to strengthen the financial structure of especially the SSK, the employment of workers without SSK insurance shall be prevented. Therefore, a large number of workers employed without SSK insurance shall be taken under coverage, and their wives and children will also be insured.
Private health and life insurance companies will be extended and incentives will be provided for them.
The quality of social service programs for the children, youth and elderly shall be raised and widened.
The professional and medical rehabilitation of the handicapped shall be expanded. Our approach on this subject will be that of provision of services and capabilities, rather than protection.
Conveniences, priorities and options shall be created for the care and treatment of the handicapped needy of lifelong care and treatment.
In the care of children and elderly creates problems as families becoming nuclear families with the increase of industrialization and urbanization, and constantly more people joining the work force. To eliminate these problems, emphasis will be place upon the expansion of rest homes, child-care centers and their hospitals.
Incentives shall be provided for the care in the family of the needy elderly, after reaching a certain age.
Social aid provided to the elderly and the needy shall be revised according to conditions of the present day. Regulations to ensure that this aid goes to the truly needy will be reinforced and the amount of payment shall be increased.
The problems of our citizens working abroad shall be followed up closely, their social security contracts with the countries in which they are employed shall be revised in order to improve their working conditions and their social security conditions.
5.6 LABOR
Our biggest target is to place the social dialogue to the highest level and solve problems through mutual agreements, within a triple structure consisting of the worker, employer and the government, for the purpose of attaining peace for workers and for the maintenance of labor activities in a healthy and balanced manner.
For the strengthening and stabilization of the labor environment, legislation pertaining to labor shall be revised to ensure democratic participation in conformity with contemporary standards, and measures shall be taken to develop healthy relations between the parties.
Efforts shall be made to strengthen the agreement between the government, workers and employers, and relations in the industrial area, within the ILO from work of conventions and principles.
The structure of the Economic and Social Council shall be extended and reinforced to be more functional.
Legal arrangements to decrease the cost of labor and to promote employment shall be rapidly completed.
The present social security premium rates encouraging the employment of unregistered workers shall be brought to a rational level.
The level of the minimum wage shall be revised in accordance with cost of living standards and taxes deducted from minimum wages shall be gradually reduced.
The freedom of organizing shall be allowed, unionization shall be promoted, and necessary amendment changes shall be made in the legislation for public employees to benefit from union rights and freedoms of collective bargaining and strikes.
Discrimination based on sex in the working environment shall be avoided; the principle of equal wages for equal work and merit shall prevail in the field of labor.
Gaps in the legislation regarding the exploitation of child labor shall be filled. ILO standards regarding child labor shall be implemented and misuse of child labor shall be prevented.
Job security shall be affected without harming workers and employees and the application of unemployment insurance shall be improved.
5.7 WOMEN
Not because women make up half of our population, they should be considered as individuals before everything else primarily effective for the raising of healthy generations. Our Party shall pay attention to all kinds of women's problems, which had been neglected for years. For this reason;
· All necessary measures shall be taken to encourage women to participate in public life.
· Women shall be encouraged to enroll as members to our Party and to play an active role in politics.
· Support shall be provided to associations, foundations and non-governmental organizations related to women. Organization dealing with women's problems will be consulted when legal arrangements will be made on the subject of women.
· The prevention of violence, sexual and economic exploitation against women shall be included among priority policies of our Party.
· In regions where women commit suicide, or honor killings take place, preventative and educational work shall be carried out towards orienting the women and their families.
· Local administrations shall be encouraged to work on women's problems. Educational projects aimed at girls living in rural areas, suitable to the conditions of the area they live in. The non-governmental organizations working in this field shall be supported.
· Policies to increase the schooling rate of girls shall be implemented. Obstacles in front of girls' education shall be lifted. Projects aimed at family awareness shall be performed especially in rural areas.
· Principles of the Convention for Prevention of All Types of Discrimination Against Women shall be implemented.
· Work shall be done for housewives to be covered by social security. Respectability of household labor shall be preserved and new employment areas for women shall be created.
· Programs to protect women who are without financial support, or who are subjected to violence shall be established.
· Discriminatory provisions against women in our regulations shall be eliminated.
· Improvements shall be made in their social security and working conditions taking into consideration working environment, children and family responsibilities of women.
5.8 FAMILY AND SOCIAL SERVICES
The family constitutes the foundation of society and an important institution playing a role in the formation of social solidarity. The way to social happiness, solidarity, peace, affection and respect passes through the family. It is clear that we owe to a large extent to our strong family structure the fact that we are still standing despite all the economic troubles. To assign priority to family centered policies, our Party shall:
· Work out arrangements to support family members in order to preserve family peace and spiritual health of children from disturbances due to the intensity of the work environment.
· Promote projects of "foster families" and "return to the family" in order to allow children in need of protection to feel the warmth of a family unit.
· Encourage young generations to house their elderly parents with them.
· Increase street children's housing, education, rehabilitation, and treatment facilities for them to be restored to the family and society. Enter into cooperation with volunteer organizations and local administrations to develop policies preventing children to stay out in the streets.
· Prevent the exploitation of children by their families and society, not allow them to be forced to work in the streets.
· Take measures to prevent in-family violence. Make legal arrangements to protect the women and children who suffer from this violence, and open care centers.
· Effectively inspect the liabilities of the local and general administrations, towards the handicapped, and take measures for the handicapped to be integrated into the population and enter into the workforce. Also housing projects for the handicapped shall be encouraged. Present implementation on the care of the needy handicapped shall be improved.
· Since harmful addictions and narcotic drugs are the biggest danger facing our population, combat against drugs shall start with elementary school. Addiction of the youth shall be prevented in cooperation with non-governmental organizations; social programs will be drawn up to raise awareness.
· Social services shall be made more effective, necessary precautions be taken for meeting the need for trained personnel.
· Allow middle-class families to own homes with long-term housing credits. Cooperation shall also be made with local administrations to provide marriage loans to the youth.
· Public institutions providing services in the area of women and family shall be restructured.
5.9 YOUTH AND SPORTS
Youth is the source of dynamism and the potential for change .As well as the wealth of the country therefore; possessing a young population is a huge opportunity for Turkey. However, young people in our country have not been properly educated, have been left without jobs, their energies were repressed, they were not given the right to speak, they were not trusted, in fact, from time to time they were seen as threats. For this reason, our Party deems assuring the trust of society towards the young, and that of the youth to Turkey, as being among its fundamental objectives.
Our Party aims at raising skilled young people properly equipped with knowledge and capable of thinking independently, are able to decide on their own, who question, who are aware of reality of their own society and the universal thought, and who will be able to handle the difficulties of living.
Along this line, the policies to be followed by our Party aimed at the youth are as follows:
· Participation of our youth to the country's governing processes shall be ensured in every platform, for this purpose political schools and youth associations shall be supported.
· While the quality of education is being assured, youth centers allowing the youth to participate in social activities shall be expanded. Cooperation shall be undertaken in this area with non-governmental organizations, private sector and local administrations.
· Development and solutions to the problems of our youth living in rural areas and suburbs shall be assigned special priority.
· Precautions shall be taken against broadcasts pertaining to alcohol, drugs, violence and pornography, which negatively affect the spiritual, physical and mental development of our youth.
· District libraries at the standards of developed countries shall be opened to reinforce reading habits of the youth. They shall be encouraged to participate in scientific work, artistic and cultural activities.
· Participation of the youth in international contests and activities in every area shall be encouraged stimulated, successful individuals shall be granted special training and job opportunities.
· Youth of high ability shall be identified by the related agencies and they will be given special training along the lines of their interests and their skills.
· Youth centers equipped with qualified personnel shall be created for the purpose of our living abroad in order to prevent them from being estranged from their own cultures and becoming assimilated.
· Changing conditions of the world and Turkey shall be taken into account and a new sports policy shall be elaborated. Majority of sports services shall be left to local administrations.
· Necessary legal arrangements shall be made to allow local administrations to allocate more resources to amateur and professional sports clubs.
· Support for athletes and clubs achieving international successes shall be increasingly maintained. Licensed athletes shall be empowered to benefit from social security services.
· Projects allowing the handicapped youth to participate in sports and social activities shall be implemented.
· Incentives shall be provided to training and educational institutions oriented to training athletes.
· Campaigns to encourage the population to exercise in sports shall be realized on a continuous basis, the youth will be the target audience. Young talents who wish to become athletes shall be economically and socially supported.
· Sports activities are focused on just a few common sports branches because of the attitude taken by media on this subject. It seems that public is prevented from becoming interested in other sports branches on purposely. This vicious circle shall be overcome by increasing interact of the public to other branches of sport.
5.10 URBANIZATION AND HOUSING
The quality of Government in a country and the place of it in the international community is often measured the quality of cities they construct. For this reason, the issue of urbanization and housing has a meaning further than its technical content.
The major obstacle facing the issue of urbanization and housing in reaching contemporary standards is the internal migration. The migration issue located at the root of many problems in our nation, is the crucial precondition for the creation of proper solutions.
· Radical reforms to be made in local administrations shall solve the infrastructure problems of cities. Urbanization in violation of city plans shall not be allowed.
· Improving urban planning in the slum areas at the towns will ease the problem, rather than increasing the concentration by revising the building codes in established urban areas and planning in areas adjacent to municipal boundaries shall be accelerated.
· Improper and ugly urbanization shall be prevented. Cities shall be livable spaces. Inexpensive housing shall be provided for those living in shantytown areas.
· Cities will be made into livable, healthy, environmentally attractive locations with long-term programs, acting on our traditions; the "garden-town" concept shall be taken up again.
· Necessary regulations shall be passed to prevent the construction of buildings which ruins the natural and historical texture of the city. The historical site policy implemented to protect the ancient city textures shall be revised.
· Cooperation with non-governmental organizations shall be developed for the solution of urban problems; the establishment of district organizations shall be promoted.
· The concept of "Rights of City Dwellers and Crimes Against Cities" shall be developed for the protection of urban values. In order to secure the historical heritage, cultural values and the right to live in a healthy and balanced environment, social awareness shall be developed, the public shall be empowered to participate in decisions regarding the city and a separate chapter shall be added to the Turkish Penal Code with the title of "Crimes Against Cities".
· Construction of public agency buildings, hospitals, universities and schools of public character within urban areas, shall be based on certain principles and rules.
· Arrangement of squares within the city for people to rest, exercise, demonstrate and explain their views shall be emphasized. City fairs and festivals shall be supported.
· Underground transportation projects will be supported for the solution of transportation problems of major cities. Furthermore, sea and rail systems shall be expanded. Measures raising the quality of life in cities shall be made more widespread beginning with the priority regions.
5.11 ENVIRONMENT
Our Party regards environmental issues both from the point of view of creating a healthy environment, as well as reducing national costs.
Migration into cities from rural areas and industrialization has induced the rapidly growing environmental problems. Today, environmental costs deeply affect the national welfare in every industrializing country. While our Party aims at a sustainable development on the other hand, it shall take care to keep the environmental cost of this development at a minimum on the other. In the framework of this purpose, the following policies shall be followed:
· Turkey shall not be the graveyard of harmful wastes, neither from its own production, nor imported from other countries. No development or production model polluting the environment shall be tolerated.
· The rate of pollution shall be minimized by controlling industrial wastes, which have permanent effects on ecosystems and ensuring their purification.
· Since environmental problems occur mostly on a local level, the importance of local administrations is great in the creation and performance of environmental policies. For this reason, our Party believes that the environmental plans should be carried out locally, rather than by the central authority. These plans will be implemented with the participation of the people. To provide this, a local administration based environmental management system shall be developed.
· All complaints from citizens in the subject of the environment shall be carefully examined. Cooperation shall be conducted with non-governmental organizations active in environmental issues; citizens shall be induced to take the initiative in the solution of environmental problems.
· Requets and studies of international organizations related to the environment shall be taken into consideration.
· Our Party believes that the environment must be protected with a feeling of knowledge, love and responsibility. We think that it is not meaningful to discuss environmental awareness after the environment becomes impossible to survive in. Thus, it is one of our priority tasks to extend an educational program to equip citizens with environmental awareness starting at an early age.
· Standards shall be developed in the usage of chemical fertilizers, pesticides and hormones in agricultural areas; a control mechanism shall be created based on these standards. The usage of hormones in the stock breeding of cattle and sheep herds shall be prevented.
· Our traditional environmental understanding and culture shall be utilized in the solution of environmental issues.
5.12 SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY
Our party believes that science and technology has a strategic significance in terms of economic development and social welfare. For this reason, we believe that the science and technology policies of our country must be created with the wide participation of our scientists in the homeland and foreign countries. Our Party is convinced that the science and technology capacity of our nation will increase through the implementation of correctly selected science and technology policies.
The main elements of the science and technology policies must be mechanisms to convert science and technology into economic and social benefits.
The main policies we shall follow in the field of science and technology are as follows:
· The project of Initiative in Science and Technology shall be implemented in a manner to provide high added value new products, services and systems to the Turkish economy and industry.
· Basic and applied sciences shall be considered in a balanced manner and supported on the basis of projects.
· Work shall be immediately started for establishing the "National Innovation System".
· All work to increase Turkey's science and technology capacity to provide new inventions for manufacturers shall be supported and the required arrangements shall be made.
· Research and development activities in Turkey shall receive support; all research agencies shall be supported according to the criteria of producing know-how, especially the private sector and our universities.
· The share allocated to R&D from the public budget shall be raised throughout the years, proportionally above European Union averages.
· The necessary support shall be provided for Turkish scientists to be able to take part in international joint research projects.
· The infrastructure of the national information network to integrating shall be prepared with a view to the entire country into the international system, to allow the rapid access of the whole nation to information, especially by industrial companies..
· University-industry cooperation shall definitely be realized.
· The number and effectiveness of "Technology Development Zone Techno-parks" bringing together the know-how of universities and research agencies and the entrepreneurship of the private sector shall be increased.
· Risk Capital Investment Partnerships shall be encouraged to facilitate the conversion of technological inventions, into production.
· Special emphasis shall be placed on data processing, biological and genetic engineering, advanced materials technologies, energy technologies, food technologies, flexible production systems and health technologies.
· Measures shall be taken with a view to reversing of the brain drain, encouragements shall be provided for local and foreign scientists to come to Turkey on a periodical or permanent basis.
· Social researchers aimed at shedding light on Turkey's historical and cultural accumulation, investigating its sociological realities, increasing its social and political depth, examining social, cultural, and economic policies specific to Turkey shall be supported as much as science and technological research.
5.13 WRITTEN AND VISUAL MEDIA
Free, independent, multi-voiced written press and visual media is one of the most important assurances of the democratic regime. It is fundamental to preserve the freedom to receive correct information and news. All measures shall be taken to ensure such an environment.
Media-politics and commercial relations shall be prevented from restricting the public's freedom to receive correct news. Exploitation of citizens through the media shall be prevented. Related legislation shall be revised in order to prevent monopolization and trust formation in the written press and visual media.
The media shall be encouraged to publish issues keeping the needs of society in the forefront.
Cultural values, consumers, families, children and the youth must be protected; general moral and ethics rules must be obeyed; publications violating the rights of individuals and social groups must be avoided. Cooperation shall be initiated with professional associations and non-governmental organizations to develop new criteria regarding the social responsibilities of the media.
All types of technical and legal measures shall be taken related to the confidentiality of privacy and private communications.
One of the effective control methods in the media is self-control. Meanwhile, the control of malicious publications through a social opposition shall be encouraged with the monitoring of unbiased professional associations and volunteer establishments.
The job security and social security issues of those employed in the affect media also indirectly the freedom to be informed. Therefore media workers shall to provide with a working environment in international standards and job security.
The definition of censorship and similar concepts shall be determined fully by the civil initiative without room for doubt and decisions shall be made without political bias.
The local media shall be supported.
Agencies monitoring the media shall act with objective criteria. These agencies shall be prevented from becoming political pressure vehicles over the media.
While the media's freedom to obtain news and information is being protected, no violation of individuals' private lives shall be permitted.
5.14 TRAFFIC
Every year thousands of our citizens are killed or crippled through traffic accidents in our country. Economic losses are also great due to traffic accidents.
· It is our main objective to construct a transportation infrastructure which will establish, in the long term, a harmonious balance between various modes of transport, thus minimize the number of traffic accidents.
· A training and awareness program shall be initiated to minimize damages in the triangle of roads, vehicles, and people, for the purpose of preventing traffic accidents. Compliance with traffic rules shall become an acquired behavior. Traffic responsibility for the traffic services will be transferred to municipalities.
· In view of the nature of the traffic services, the responsibility of those services will be transferred to municipalities within a short time, while the authority to determine the principles in this field will remain in the hand of the central administration. In interurban roads and areas where there are no municipal organizations, the traffic central traffic authorities shall provide services.
· Infrastructures of highways shall become conformant to the rapidly increasing traffic of vehicles, construction of divided motorways shall be accelerated; in highways where there is an intensity of traffic.
· Before infrastructure projects of highways are implemented, they shall be inspected in terms of traffic safety.
· Legal arrangements shall be made urgently to increase traffic safety.
· Rail systems shall be expanded in large cities; rail transport systems in the cities shall be integrated with highway systems in order to obtain maximum traffic safety.
· Analyses shall be carried out on traffic accidents, their reasons shall be identified and urgent measures shall be taken in these areas.
· A sufficient number of first-aid stations equipped with medical materials shall be established on highways. The required regulatory and technical infrastructure deficiencies of university hospitals and other public and private health care organizations shall be made to provide emergency treatment to traffic accident victims.
FOREIGN POLICY
Development and Democratization
PROGRAM
VI. FOREIGN POLICY
6. FOREIGN POLICY
The geopolitical situation of Turkey has the potential to create an attraction zone for many cooperation projects. The ability to convert this potential into a regional and global effectiveness depends on the logical use of the geopolitics in international political, economical and security relations.
On the other hand, the dynamic circumstances brought about by the post cold war period have created a suitable environment for developing a foreign policy with several alternatives. The particularity of military alliances and blocks to become the determinant elements of international relations has been greatly reduced, and cooperation projects have become a common tool of relations between States. In this new environment Turkey must also rearrange and create its relations with centers of power with alternatives, flexibly and with many axes.
Our Party shall follow a realistic foreign policy befitting the history and geographical position of Turkey, free from prejudices and obsessions, based on mutuality of interests. Turkey, which is respectful of the territorial integrity and sovereignty of other countries, deems it its right for other nations and international agencies to respect its territorial integrity and sovereignty.
Against changing regional and global realities, our Party believes that Turkey must redefine its foreign policy priorities and create a balance between these realities and its national interests.
In this sense, our Party shall:
· Make with a long-term perspective Turkey's foreign policy harmonious with the regional and global environment, which is shaped by on new dynamics.
· Believes that the decision-making and implementation process in foreign policy is inadequate with the participation of bureaucracy only. It believes that the effectiveness and strength of Turkey shall increase by ensuring the participation of the Parliament and various sections of society in such decisions.
· Believes that strategic studies, scenario analyses and future projections in international relations are of the utmost importance in the development of foreign policy vehicles. For this reason cooperation shall be undertaken with research centers active in the area of foreign policy within of public agencies, foreign policy institutes and international relations departments universities.
Within the framework of these observations, our Party shall follow the below policies:
· Turkey is an element of stability in the region where it is situated, with its democracy, economy and its attitude of respect for human rights. With these qualities, it shall take more initiative in the spots of crisis in regions neighboring Turkey and try to make a more concrete contribution to the solution of the crises.
· Our Party is of the opinion that the regional security environment makes an important contribution to economic development. For this reason, Turkey shall make more efforts for providing security and stability in its near surroundings, shall increase its attempts to maintain good relations with its neighbors based on dialogue, thus it shall contribute more to the development of regional cooperation.
· Turkey has been in close relation with Europe both geographically and historically. For this reason, relations with European nations shall continue to be at the top of the list in Turkey's foreign policy agenda.
· Turkey shall rapidly fulfill its promises in its relations with the European Union and the conditions, which the union demands of other candidate nations as well. Thus, it shall prevent the occupation of the agenda with artificial problems.
· Parallel to the contributions made by Turkey inside NATO until the present day, efforts shall be maintained for Turkey to take the place it deserves within the new European Security and Defense Concept created within the framework of the new European defense strategy.
· The political and economic cooperation which continues to exist since a long time between Turkey and friendly countries and allies shall be maintained and this cooperation shall be intensified in areas of the economy, science, technology, investments, and trade.
· The cooperation with the United States of America which had been defense oriented shall be maintained and this cooperation shall be extended to areas of the economy, investments, science and technology.
· Friendly relations with the Russian federation shall be maintained based on cooperation rather than competition in Middle-Asia and the Caucuses.
· Relations with our neighbor Greece based on mutual economic interests shall be maintained increasingly and thanks to the environment of security provided by these relations, the ground will be prepared for the solution of more complex political problems.
· It is of the view that in the solution of the Cyprus issue, the presence of the Turkish population on the island, its identity and its right for self-determination cannot be ignored. It believes that the solution in Cyprus must be based on an agreement between the two States present on the island and that admission of the Greek Cypriot Section into the European Union before the solution of this problem will make this problem more complex.
Despite our historical, cultural and social closeness to Turkic Republics of Central Asia. It is a fact that Turkey could not live up to expectations of these countries Republics. Our Party shall move relations with the Turkic Republics to the highest level and make efforts to turn the region into a wide area of cooperation.
The blood spilling in the Middle East worries and concerns the Turkish public, which has close historical and cultural ties with this region, as it does the entire world public opinion. Our party believes that the only way to urgently stop the flow of blood and tears, no matter whom they belong to, is a lasting peace. In this framework, Turkey shall continue to support the efforts towards the achievement of the peace.
Our Party attributes a special importance to Turkey's relation with Islamic countries. Thus, it shall make efforts for the increase of our bilateral cooperation with these nations on the one hand, while continuing attempts on the other for the Organization of Islamic Conference (OIC) to have a more respectable place in the international arena and to have a dynamic structure able to take initiatives. Again in this conjunction, it shall try to impart more substance to the work of the standing committee for Economic and Commercial Cooperation of OIC (Comcec) which is chaired by the President of the Republic of Turkey.
The end of the Cold War and the collapse of the Eastern Bloc have caused the emergence of a new area of cooperation in the Black Sea region. As a result of this development, efforts shall be increased to mobilize the potential of the Black Sea Economic Cooperation Organization, founded with a rapid momentum and wide participation, promising wide cooperation possibilities to the region's countries.
In addıtıon the traditional Atlantic and European dimensions of the Turkish foreign policy, efforts shall be maintained to develop a policy with a Eurasian axis should also be. In this sense efforts will be made to reinforce the cooperation in the framework of the Economic Cooperation Organization (ECO).
Possibilities of cooperation shall be sought in the Caucasus, leaving aside the prejudices of the Cold War period. Thus, Turkey will try to contribute to the integration of this area, which contains rich surface and underground resources, with the Middle East and the Balkans in an economic sense.
Relations with China dynamic economies of Southeast Asia shall be taken up in a multi dimensional manner and efforts will be made for Turkey to develop closer ties with these countries.
It shall develop and if necessary reshape the policy of Turkey in the Balkans, in light of our historical, cultural and economic relations with the region's countries.
It shall make efforts for better protection of the rights of Turkish citizens living abroad in the country where they live, and if necessary it shall operate already existing mechanisms present to eliminate the problems they encounter both in Turkey and in those countries, and if necessary new mechanisms shall be created.
CONCLUSION
Development and Democratization
PROGRAM
CONCLUSION
Turkey is a country possessing a very rich material and spiritual potential, mainly from its young and dynamic population.
The Republic is one of the most important gains we obtained within our history of thousands of years. Despite all the efforts and developments, AK PARTI believes that the distance taken until today for our Republic to become a democratic republic is quite inadequate.
Our party aims at endowing Turkey with through the political directions and recommendations, which a democratic structure based on the superiority of the law, on human rights and freedoms this program sincerely adopts.
Acting on the philosophy of, "let the people live so that the State can live", our Party has placed the individuals at the center of all its policies. Led by the freedom of thought, expression, belief, education, organization and enterprise, we deem all of the civil and political freedoms as the basic condition of pluralism, peace and conciliation. All these freedoms are essential conditions for everyone, to transform Turkey into a great hope for the future.
Our Party sees and embraces all citizens of the Republic of Turkey as first class citizens, regardless of differences in religion, language, sect, regional origin, ethnic origin or sex. In our democratic understanding there is no obligation for differences to be converted to one another. This is the culture of the different living together in peace, filtered through our experience in history.
Protecting the oppressed ones from the oppressors is one of our crucial principles. Thus, our program targets the peace and happiness of everyone, rather than the peace and happiness of just a group or section.
In the concept of government to be carried out within the framework of this program by our Party, the State shall be a strong State in terms of its function and effectiveness for producing high quality services, rather than being a large and slow State. The State will be in the position of an orchestra conductor, within the concept of an administration based on pluralism and multi voiced opinions in the framework of respect for the integrity of the country and national sovereignty. A State should regulate, control, and create opportunities. It should also encourage entrepreneurs and open their ways rather than imposing one way to be obeyed. Providing equal advantages to anyone is a requirement of the prevalent democratic concept of the 21st Century. This is in fact what will bring our nation to the place it deserves on the world scene.
This program aims at mobilizing very large economic potential of our country, to grow and make a new attack by bringing the costs brought on by globalization to the minimum. The costs brought on by globalization disciplining public spending, preventing waste at every level, supporting enterprises at all directions, installing an earnings system based on production rather than collecting interest, showing the maximum sensitivity in borrowing, reducing taxation rates while widening the tax base, eliminating the injustice in the distribution of income, ending poverty and all types of corruption, taking productivity as a basis, are among the economic priorities of the program.
The essence of our efforts and our "raison d'etre"ın politics is to provide food. For our people to make them healthy educated, at peace, to attain a living standard with human dignity, to become individuals who are sure of their future, who are confident of their government, each other and themselves.
The most important aspect of this program is that it does not include rhetoric, which cannot be converted to action .It correctness; realism and applicability are the salient characteristic of our Party's policies. Our people know very well that our word is the same as our essence. AK PARTI is a movement of cadres taking its strength from the people. Here, principles rather than strict judgments; collective wisdom rather than monopolistic intelligence is prevalent.
Turkey's biggest problem is the lack of confidence. When the State's confidence towards the people, and the people's confidence towards the State are restored, when the people's demands coincide with the agenda of the politics, Turkey's walk to the summit in the international race shall definitely be realized. We have a passion called the "Passion for Turkey". We are starting a walk towards bright horizons with sincerity with fortitude. The honor and pride at the finish line shall belong to everyone who starts out with us.
AK PARTI is not and shall not be a party forcing ideologies or distributing favors. Our Party is a party of masses, which considers serving Turkey as in the framework of this program. We refuse segregations borne by the Cold War period, based on the old political ideology. Everyone who believes in democracy, respects human rights and freedoms, adopts pluralistic values, possesses ethical and human emotions, is attached to the market economy, and has a place under the roof of this Party.
It is among AK PARTİ's most important objectives to move to the center of politics the masses the respectful of republican of Turkey a respectful of national, spiritual and universal values.
This program is a "democratization and enterprise" project prepared by cadres, which are honest, principled, sensitive in the subject of domestic values, aware of global dynamics, grasping very well the geography and age in which they are living, in order for our great nation to take the place it deserves in the international community and for our country to "rise above the level of contemporary civilization".
It is up to us to make efforts, to get tired, to conduct principled politics and to be determined; the appreciation is definitely from our people.
May Allah be the beloved and assistant of our nation?
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