March 31 will prepare all provinces for 'Century of Türkiye' — Altun

The Communications Director of Türkiye, Fahrettin Altun, has penned an article reflecting on the local elections that will be held on March 31.

Altun's piece was published in over 50 outlets across 13 countries, including Italy's Il Messaggero, Greece's Kathimerini, the Harlem Times news portal in the United States, Russia's Interfax agency and China's Sina and Sohu internet platforms.

Among the other outlets giving place to Altun's article are Switzerland's Post newspaper, which belongs to the Turkish diaspora, Malaysia's Astro Avani news portal, and leading newspapers and news portals in Bosnia and Herzegovina, Uzbekistan, Kazakhstan, Turkmenistan, Kyrgyzstan, and Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus.

Fair, transparent, and regular elections

In the piece, Altun underscored the fundamental importance of fair, transparent, and regular elections in modern democracies.

"A cornerstone of democracy lies in the mandate and authority of leaders being derived from the electorate, thus necessitating regular renewal of these mandates through elections," he wrote on Saturday.

"Through elections, citizens not only have the opportunity to assess the policies and performance of their leaders but also to evaluate them positively or negatively," he added.

Türkiye's mature democratic culture

Highlighting Türkiye's track record since introducing multi-party politics in 1946, Altun asserted that Türkiye ranks among the leading countries in conducting regular, fair, and transparent elections.

"Institutions such as the Supreme Electoral Council of Türkiye (YSK) ensure that elections in Türkiye are conducted under the supervision of independent judges, thereby fostering a mature political culture where election security is ensured, and citizens trust the electoral process," he wrote.

High voter turnout on May elections

Altun pointed out that Türkiye's commitment to democratic values is evident in voter turnout rates.

"According to data from the YSK, voter turnout was 88.92% for the elections held on May 14 and 85.72% for the second round of Presidential elections on May 28," he said, adding:

"Türkiye ranked third among OECD countries with the highest voter turnout on May 14, 2023 elections."

Türkiye's voter turnout surpassed many Western OECD members such as the United States, France, Germany, and the United Kingdom, according to data from the OECD and the International Institute for Democracy and Electoral Assistance (IDEA).

'Local elections on March 31 a significant milestone'

Looking ahead to the local elections on March 31, Altun also stressed the importance of local governments having a vision and perspective aligned with the needs and demands of the people, emphasising the role of democratic participation and communication with local governments in meeting these needs.

Altun expressed confidence that the upcoming local elections will further strengthen Türkiye's democracy and societal cohesion both domestically and internationally.

"The local elections on March 31 are seen as a significant milestone in Türkiye's democratic journey, reflecting its determination to build the Century of Türkiye," he expressed.

In line with Türkiye's democratic principles, Altun affirmed that the results of the elections, whether from the ruling party or the opposition, will be respected, and Türkiye will continue to be a stabilising force in the international arena.

'Century of Türkiye'

"With the March 31 elections, Türkiye will not only add a new successful election to its democratic culture but will also prepare all provinces, especially cities like Istanbul and Ankara, for the "Century of Türkiye," he said.

He cited national development, the revival and construction of cities after the February 6 earthquake, and the transformation of earthquake-prone cities like Istanbul into resilient cities as the most important vision after the elections.

Another important aspect of the March 31 elections is that there will be no new election held within 4 years after these elections.

Referring to this, he said, "The goal of entering the Century of Türkiye with a new and civilian constitution will be the most important ideal and agenda of the next four years."

"During these four years, Türkiye will continue its development efforts initiated under the leadership of our President, Recep Tayyip Erdogan, without slowing down," he added, ensuring services provided in all areas, from communication to diplomacy, from economic development to infrastructure investments, will be continued.