AK Party vows to carry Turkey into the future
2023 targets and 2053 vision unveiled at congress
THE ruling Justice and Development Party (AK Party) will carry Turkey toward its 2023 targets and its vision for 2053, President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan stated on Wednesday at the party’s seventh congress in the capital Ankara.
Mr Erdoğan stressed that the party has transformed Turkey into one of the most developed countries in the world.
The party is expected to undergo major restructuring and a Cabinet change is expected.
The president announced that the number of members in the party’s Central Decision-Making and Administrative Committee (MKYK) will be increased from 50 to 75. More than over 1,500 delegates will vote for a new MKYK.
The AK Party now has 13.5 million members.
Eleven political parties were invited to the congress.
Launched in late 2019 and interrupted by the Covid-19 pandemic, the provincial congresses were finally completed.
Mr Erdoğan expressed his confidence in winning the 2023 elections, calling it a year of victory for the People’s Alliance. The AK Party forged an alliance with the Nationalist Movement Party (MHP) in the 2018 parliamentary and presidential elections. The alliance secured a majority in Parliament, while their presidential candidate, Mr Erdoğan, also won the election with 52.6 per cent of the votes.
Speaking about Turkey’s foreign policy, Mr Erdoğan stated: “In the field of foreign policy, we have both strengthened the tools of our country and diversified them. We have carried out our policies in Africa, Asia and Latin America, where Turkey previously had a limited presence. We have raised our foreign representations that were only 163 in 2002, to 251.”
He added that Turkey has also made significant progress in defence.
In 2002 Turkey completed 62 defence projects, while the number today has surpassed 750.
The budget allocated to these projects was raised from $5.5 billion (43.78 billion TL) to $75 billion. Turkey’s defence and aviation exports have increased from $248 million to $3 billion.
“We are among the first five countries with the most widespread network of foreign missions,” Mr Erdoğan stated.
“We have used all our capabilities to bring peace and stability to these ancient lands which many terrorist organisations ranging from Daesh to the PKK and YPG have ensanguined.”
Referring to Syria Mr Erdoğan said: “With our cross-border operations, we have prevented the killing of millions of innocent people by the (Bashar Assad) regime or terrorist organisation,” adding that Turkey will continue to support the war-torn country “until Syria actually becomes a place led by Syrians”.
Turkey is home to the world’s largest refugee population with four million refugees — over 3.7 million from Syria.
Mr Erdoğan reiterated that Turkey has similarly supported Libya, recalling the mutually beneficial maritime deal Ankara struck with Tripoli in 2019.
“Thanks to the support of Turkey, Libyans can today, once again, look at the future with hope and can carry out democratic processes,” he said.
Turkey’s role in the Azerbaijan and Armenia conflict over the Nagorno-Karabakh region was another topic the president touched upon.
STEPS ON IMPROVING JUDICIAL SYSTEM
Mr Erdoğan also said that justice was another topic of extreme importance, saying that there has been an increase in the number of judges, prosecutors and other personnel by 176 per cent. The number of judges and prosecutors, which stood at 9,349 when the party came to power, has reached 21,651.
Mr Erdoğan recently announced the Human Rights Action Plan, which focuses on the issues of freedom, the right to security, the right to a fair trial, freedom of speech as well as the rights of women and the disabled.
The plan has been prepared in accordance with the observations and reports of international mechanisms that monitor human rights and in cooperation with several human rights groups.
Mr Erdoğan said that a new Constitution, to be prepared in the upcoming two years, will be the final step in the reforms.
“We have started to work for a new and civilian Constitution for our people,” Mr Erdoğan stated.
Last month Mr Erdoğan announced: “It is time for Turkey to discuss a new Constitution again.”