İYİ Party vows to reinstall democratic order when in power

ANKARA

Meral Akşener, the chairwoman of the oppositional Good (İYİ) Party, has vowed to reinstall the democratic order in Türkiye after coming to power in the next elections, criticizing the government for not seeing the link between economic development and democracy.

“I want to make a call from here: This is a call for right and truth. This is a call for freedoms, this is a call for democracy. No office is more valuable than the Turkish democracy,” Akşener said in her weekly address to her parliamentary group on Oct. 26.

She promised to reinstall the democratic order in the country when her party comes to power in the 2023 presidential and parliamentary polls. “We see democracy as our main objective and not as a tool,” she said, recalling that the people can feel secure and comfortable only under a democratic order.

“That’s why I call on everyone who is disturbed by the current democratic crisis to protect the Turkish democracy with us,” Akşener stated.

Criticizing the government over ongoing economic deterioration, the Good Party drew the attention to the link between economic development and democracy. “The government is unaware of the fact that economic development is only possible in an environment upholding freedoms under democracy,” she stated.

Transparency and honesty are also very important for a healthy economy, Akşener noted, criticizing the government institutions for distorting official figures, including inflation.

Good Party leader also strongly slammed the deputy parliamentary group leader of the Justice and Development Party (AKP) Mahir Ünal who suggested that the Republic has ruined Turkish culture and language.

“He says no thought can be produced with the current Turkish. Trying to explain this by ignorance would only empty the concept of ignorance. It is just an effort to cover their pathologic hatred against the republic,” she stated.