Facts: Turkey’s anti-Erdogan bloc vows to abolish his legacy

ANKARA (Reuters) – Turkey’s opposition alliance has vowed to roll back many of President Recep Tayyip Erdogan’s policies if he is elected in a vote expected on May 14, and on Monday named Republican People’s Party (CHP) chief Kemal Kilicdaroglu as their presidential candidate.

The six-party coalition of the nation promises a return to parliamentary democracy, a rollback from unorthodox economic policies and a major shift in foreign policy.

Here are the details of their political platform:

Legislative and executive reforms

The main promise of the Nation Alliance is to return Turkey to a parliamentary system, which they say will be “stronger” than the system in place before the country switched to the current presidential system in 2018.

They will restore the position of prime minister, which Erdogan abolished through a 2017 referendum.

They also promise to transform the presidency into an “impartial” role without political responsibility. Among their pledges was the abolition of the president’s right to veto legislation and issue decrees.

The president, who will cut ties with any political party, will serve one term of seven years and be prohibited from active politics thereafter.

Parliament’s power to renege on international agreements is enshrined in the constitution. It will also have more power to plan the government’s budget.

In public administration, councils and offices affiliated with the Presidency of the Republic will be abolished and their functions will be transferred to the relevant ministries.

Economy

The Nation Alliance promised to reduce inflation, which reached 55% in February, to single digits within two years, and to restore the stability of the Turkish lira, which has lost 80% of its value in the past five years.

They would ensure the independence of the central bank and roll back measures such as allowing the cabinet to choose the governor.

The coalition will prepare legislation to allow parliament to pass laws on the bank’s mission, operational independence and senior appointments.

They have promised to end policies that interfere with the floating exchange rate, including a government scheme that protects lira deposits from currency depreciation.

They pledged to cut government spending by reducing the number of aircraft used by the presidency, the number of vehicles used by civil servants, and by selling some state buildings.

They will review all projects under public-private partnerships.

They will review the Akkuyu nuclear power plant project and renegotiate natural gas contracts, reducing the risk of dependence on certain countries for gas imports.

Foreign Policy

The opposition bloc will adopt the slogan “Peace at home, peace in the world,” the cornerstone of Turkey’s foreign policy.

While the coalition has promised to “work towards completing the accession process” for full membership in the EU, it has pledged to revise Turkey’s 2016 refugee deal with the EU.

They also promised to establish relations with the United States based on understanding of mutual trust, and to return Turkey to the F-35 fighter jet programme.

They say Turkey will maintain relations with Russia “on the basis that both sides are equal and strengthened through balanced and constructive dialogue.”

legal reforms

The six parties pledged to ensure the independence of the judiciary, which is currently seen as being controlled by Erdogan and his allies.

The judges’ willingness to abide by the rulings of the Constitutional Court and the European Court of Human Rights will be taken into account when evaluating promotions.

Judges and prosecutors who cause human rights violations that result in Turkey being fined in the two courts will be fined. Measures will be taken to ensure that the courts quickly implement the rulings of the two high courts.

They have promised to reform the Council of Judges and Prosecutors and split it into two entities that they say will be more transparent and accountable.

They will also reform the structure and electoral processes of the supreme courts, such as the Constitutional Court, the Court of Cassation and the Council of State.

Both sides promised to ensure that pre-trial detentions are the exception, a measure critics say is abused under Erdogan’s rule.

They will promote freedom of expression and expand the right to hold demonstrations.

(Reporting by Hossein Hayatsifer and Ali Kokokujman). Editing by Jonathan Spicer and Christina Fincher

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