Turkish opposition party unveils manifesto for elections

ANKARA 

Turkey’s main opposition Republican People’s Party, or CHP,  leader Kemal Kilicdaroglu announced his party’s election manifesto and introduced candidates for the upcoming June 7 general elections Sunday.

“We will bring first class democracy to Turkey,” said Kilicdaroglu at his party’s meeting in Ankara.

The opposition leader presented the election manifesto called “A Liveable Turkey,” a four-pronged strategy focusing on the economy, education, the judiciary and politics.

The CHP plans to improve the country’s economy policies by raising the minimum wage, improving conditions of the poor, retired and subcontracted laborers, as well as supporting tradesmen and small and medium sized enterprises.

Kilicdaroglu promised his party would raise the minimum wage from the current 949 Turkish liras (about $355) to 1,500 liras ($561), by cutting taxes.

He also stated that families, who have less than a 200-Turkish lira monthly income would receive “family insurance,” adding their monthly income would not be lower than 720 liras.

“I am addressing my speech to 17 million poor citizens,” said Kilicdaroglu, adding that, four years from now poverty, would no longer be a problem for Turkish citizens.

The CHP leader also stated that the retired people would receive two additional pensions on feasts of Ramadan (Eid el-Fitr) and Sacrifice (Eid el-Adha).

An additional monthly aid, ranging from 200 to 600 Turkish liras ($74 to $225) would be given to family members of a military officer, to citizens over 65, and to the disabled. Additionally, at least 50,000 disabled would be employed in private or public sectors and receive free healthcare.

He also promised to provide general health insurance to more than 2 million Turkish citizens as well as social benefits to 5 million citizens.

Kilicdaroglu said his party aimed to reduce Turkey’s unemployment rate to 5 percent and inflation rate to 4 percent, as well as to provide at least a million additional jobs to the unemployed. In January 2015, the unemployment rate was 11.3 percent. The inflation rate in March was 7.61 percent.  

The manifesto also stated that the party would lower the price of diesel fuel for agriculture laborers from 4 Turkish liras ($2.39) to 1.5 lira ($0.56), as "the current price consists only of taxes," Kilicdaroglu said.

If the CHP gains the majority of votes and is given the chance to form a government, it will launch a “guaranteed job education” program, meaning it would establish vocational boarding schools in industrial regions, which will assure internships and job, said Kilicdaroglu.

As for education, the main opposition party stated it would remove Turkey's Higher Education Board, known as YOK, and universities would become independent, adding that university students would receive grants and graduates would be sent abroad to do their doctorates.

Compulsory education would last 13 years, including one year of preschool education. Compulsory education in Turkey currently lasts 12 years. 

According to the manifesto, the CHP would split Turkey’s High Council of Judges and Prosecutors into two separate councils with their own budgets – a judges council and a prosecutors council- and limit the Justice Ministry's influence on these councils.

Kilicdaroglu also said his party aimed to lower the election threshold from 10 to 5 percent, while Turks living abroad would be able to present their own MPs in the Turkish parliament.

Regarding Turkey's Kurdish issue, Kilicdaroglu stated that the CHP was the only party that could provide peace and the issue should be discussed in parliament, as proposed earlier by the party. 

Approximately 56 million Turkish citizens will vote on June 7, in the country's 25th general elections, to elect the 550 members of Parliament.

Turkey had held general elections every five years until a 2007 constitutional change which set elections to every four years.