President Erdoğan vows to continue reform agenda

ANKARA

President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan vowed on March 4 to continue the reform agenda for Turkey, emphasizing that the People’s Alliance, formed by the ruling Justice and Development Party (AKP) and Nationalist Movement Party (MHP), would proceed to make a new constitution.

“The most important reform herald was our proposal to draft a new and civil constitution. The step of drafting a new and civil constitution, which we, as the People’s Alliance, have taken in unity, is a proposal that concerns everyone in this country,” Erdoğan said, addressing the AKP’s extended provincial heads meeting via video link.

“We invite all segments of society, from political parties to NGOs, from the media to the business world, to contribute constructively to this process. As the AK Party and the People’s Alliance, we will make our preparations,” he added.

His government would do its best to ensure that such a process would “enclose” entire citizens of the country, the president stated.

“We are the party that completely changed the democratic and economic face of our country with many reforms that we call silent revolutions,” Erdoğan said, noting that his party was the one that implemented many regulations that the “nation has expected.”

“The Judicial Reform Strategy Document was the umbrella document of my most important legal regulations in the recent period. On Tuesday, we announced our Human Rights Action Plan,” Erdoğan said.

His government would not “compromise its determination to develop, grow and strengthen” Turkey, he added.

The president cited Turkey’s 2020 growth figure, announced as 1.8 percent, saying that Turkey was among the few countries that continued to grow during the pandemic.

“Growth [figure of Turkey] is 4.8 percent in agriculture, 2.8 percent in social services, 2.5 percent in the service sector and 2 percent in industry, and that shows we have a balanced and strong infrastructure,” he stated.

Meanwhile, Turkey’s exports in February exceeded $16 billion; the ratio of exports to imports approached 83 percent, Erdoğan noted.

“We are gradually eliminating the negative effects of pandemic measures on our country’s economic and social life with our controlled normalization steps,” he said.

The president also slammed the main opposition Republican People’s Party (CHP), saying that “an era that objects all the projects, investments and works in the country is over.”

“For years, the CHP has exploited some of the citizens of this country by using values such as Kemalism, secularism, democracy and modernity,” Erdoğan said, accusing the CHP of “separatism, bigotry and fascism.”

Meanwhile, addressing the leaders at the Economic Cooperation Organization (ECO) summit, Erdoğan said, “Ending unilateral sanctions against Iran will contribute to the economic prosperity and stability of our region.”

Erdoğan attended the 14th ECO Leaders’ Summit via video link.

It will be beneficial if the ECO Trade Agreement, which has not been implemented for 17 years, comes into force immediately, he noted.

Erdoğan said Turkey is of the opinion that Armenia will support regional stability with the peaceful steps it will take. “From now on, our priority is to help the establishment of security and stability in Karabakh and to eliminate the damage of 30 years of occupation together,” he stated.