Enlarge image
The party alliance presenting the joint program in Ankara
Photo: ADEM ALTAN / AFP
The opposition parties in Turkey can hardly compete with President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan's ruling AKP party.
Six parties have formed an alliance to defeat the long-term president.
Now they have presented a joint program a few months before the parliamentary and presidential elections, which are expected to take place in May.
According to the agreement, in the event of an election victory, the alliance wants to convert the presidential system back into a parliamentary system, strengthen the rule of law and freedom of the press and curtail the power of the president.
The President should no longer have the right to issue decrees.
He is no longer allowed to belong to any party and his term of office is to be limited to seven years.
The alliance also announced that it would fight inflation, which is currently more than 60 percent.
The aim was to permanently reduce inflation to a single-digit number within two years, it said.
It would also ensure that the independence of the central bank would be restored.
Critics accuse the central bank of being politicized.
The alliance also committed to EU membership and Turkey's NATO membership.
Anti-Erdoğan program
The agreement went on to say: "Our country is experiencing one of the most serious administrative and economic crises in the history of the republic." The main reason for this crisis is the presidential system.
Erdoğan has had sweeping powers in the current presidential system since 2018.
In addition, the judiciary in many parts of the country is under government control, as the EU Commission has criticized.
The six-party alliance includes the largest opposition party, the CHP, and the national conservative Iyi party.
The parties want to nominate a joint candidate against President Erdoğan – this is to be announced in February.
mrc/dpa
