JOINT PRESS RELEASE BY THE LEADERS OF SIX POLITICAL PARTIES (Ankara – October 2, 2022)

Hosted by the Republican People’s Party, our meeting series started in February 2022 and continue today focusing on the main principles and objectives that we had brought to the public attention. In the first six meetings we held, we made significant progress in an understanding of cooperation, a rare example in our political history.

As the six political parties that have prepared the Strengthened Parliamentary System Manifesto, we have come together to crown our Republic with democracy; restore justice; live freely, considering our diversities as richness; reinstate social peace and serenity; guarantee that all citizens live a decent life; build a pluralistic and democratic Turkey and pass on these values to the next generations.

We, the Table of Six, have founded the Commission on the Roadmap for Transition, the Commission on Constitutional and Legal Reforms, the Commission on Institutional Reforms, the Commission on Election Security and the Commission on Communication which continue their activities at full speed to build the Turkey of the future.

Taking note of the approaching elections and increasing expectations from the society, we addressed two main topics in this first meeting of the second round of Gathering of Leaders:

First of all, we evaluated the work that has been done in terms of the Roadmap for Transition into the Parliamentary System and decided to complete the work in this field as soon as possible and present it to the people.

Second of all, we decided on the establishment of a joint working group for the main political areas in our country, determination of common policies in parallel with the interests of our people and the announcement of these policies to the people as our joint commitments.

We have determined these political areas as:

-Law, justice and the judiciary,

-Public administration,

-Transparency, supervision and anti-corruption,

-Economy, finance and employment,

-Sectoral and regional issues,

-Science and technology,

-Education,

-Social policies,

-Foreign policy, security and defense.

We would like to underline once more that the political power, completely disconnected from the realities of the people, attempts in vain to conceal the facts through diversions and false perceptions. The party in power is corrupted so much that it enriched a handful of partisans through stock exchange manipulations while destructing small investors. There has been a rescue mission for stock manipulators, through public banks even, at the cost of exploiting poor orphans. Those in public functions who can afford to buy four or five properties live extravagantly and in luxury while our youth goes abroad for better living conditions and freedom, and those who govern the country get rich while the people get poor. We are going to put an end to this unjust system together.

Obviously, there cannot be a strong economy without a strong democracy and that there cannot be a strong foreign policy without a strong economy. Using the issues of foreign policy and national security for its own interests in domestic politics, the political power is attempting to cover up through heroic narratives the fact that the Turkish-Greek balance in the Aegean is being disrupted in favor of Greece. However, this security weakness which is the product of a foreign policy completely deprived of an institutional mind, cannot be covered up through any heroic narrative. On another note, we consider Russia’s decision on the annexation of certain regions in Ukraine to be void, just as we do the decision on Crimea’s annexation.

May our people rest assured! We will never let the Presidential Government System that is deepening the political and economic problems further and further every day turn the Republic of Turkey into a one-man regime and dragging 85 million people to the edge of a cliff in an arbitrary and bare-knuckled way.

We bring the following to the public attention once again:

-The Table of Six is taking firm steps towards its target and our joint presidential candidate will become Tukey’s 13th President.

-The Table of Six will also win the parliamentary majority to reinstate the Strengthened Parliamentary System for a democratic state of law. 

-Through a new understanding of government and political culture, our country will rapidly be saved from the swirl of polarization; no one will be alienated on the grounds of their belief, identity, world view or lifestyle; basic rights and freedoms will be guaranteed; all obstacles before the youth will be removed; extravagancy in some public positions will be removed; the law on political ethics will come into effect; effective anti-corruption measures will be taken; strong institutions will be established; all terrorist organizations, the netherworld and drug lords will be fought against with determination; no child of our beautiful country will be condemned to poverty and Turkey will breathe a sigh of relief.

As the Table of Six always emphasizes, this is a new beginning and a new formation.