Director of Communications Altun said: "With the March 31 elections, Türkiye will not only add another successful election to its democratic culture but also prepare its provinces, particularly Istanbul and Ankara, for the Century of Türkiye."
Presidency's Director of Communications Fahrettin Altun penned an article commenting on the March 31 Local Administrations Elections.
Director of Communications Altun's article was published in more than 50 media outlets in 14 countries, including Italy's Il Messaggero newspaper, Greece's Kathimerini newspaper, the US Harlem Times news portal, Russia's Interfax agency, the French Musulmans en France news portal, China's Sina and Sohu web portals, Switzerland's Post newspaper belonging to the Turkish diaspora, Malaysia's Astro Avani news portal, leading newspapers and news portals in Bosnia and Herzegovina, Uzbekistan, Kazakhstan, Turkmenistan, Kyrgyzstan and TRNC.
Election turnout rate
Director of Communications Altun stated in his article that fair, transparent, and regular elections are the most fundamental components of modern democracies.
Stating that in democratic systems, it is fundamental that the authority and power of those in power be derived from the electorate, or the governed, Director of Communications Altun noted that these powers are renewed by means of regular elections.
Conveying that through elections, the governed vote on the governors' policies and performance, evaluating them positively or negatively, Director of Communications Altun remarked:
"Since the transition to a multi-party system in 1946, Türkiye has led the way in holding regular, fair, and transparent elections. By means of institutions such as the Supreme Election Council (YSK), elections in Türkiye are conducted with the oversight of independent judges. Therefore, Türkiye has a sophisticated political culture in terms of ensuring election security and citizens' trust in the ballot box. The participation rates in elections in Türkiye demonstrate a level of trust in elections and ballot boxes. In terms of voter turnout, Türkiye became the third country with the highest election participation among the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) countries in the presidential and parliamentary elections held on May 14, 2023. According to YSK data, the domestic turnout rate was 88.92 per cent in the elections on May 14 and 85.72 per cent in the second round of the presidential elections on May 28. According to the data from the OECD and the International Institute for Democracy and Electoral Assistance (International IDEA), Türkiye surpassed many Western OECD members, such as the US, France, Germany, and the UK, in terms of the domestic election participation rate on May 14. Another striking aspect of this data is that the participation rate in elections in Türkiye is even higher than in countries like Sweden, Denmark, New Zealand, Iceland, the Netherlands, and Norway, where participation in elections is around 80 per cent."
"Türkiye is one of the leading countries in the region in terms of democratic maturity"
Director of Communications Altun recalled that Türkiye will vote again on Sunday, March 31, for Local Administrations Elections.
Sharing that Türkiye's commitment to democratic values and its innovative vision regarding local administrations, highlighted by the March 31 local elections, are of great importance nationally and internationally, Director of Communications Altun remarked: "At the same time, the campaigns conducted in safe and fair conditions during this election process demonstrate that Türkiye is one of the leading countries in the region in terms of democratic maturity and the significance placed on local administrations."
Director of Communications Altun emphasised that they place a high value on local administrations, who are the major interlocutors in answering the needs and expectations of the people, to have a vision and perspective that is appropriate for the times, adding:
"It is an inevitable fact that this process plays an effective role in strengthening the public's democratic participation and communication with local administrations. What distinguishes our innovative municipal understanding, which we have had for years, is its goal of improving the public's quality of life, transparency, accountability under all circumstances, and, most importantly, the construction of citizen-focused administrations, as well as technology and sustainable development projects. Under the leadership of our President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan, who assumed the responsibility of governing Istanbul Metropolitan Municipality in the 1994 local elections, which were the first step and a tangible example of this vision, Türkiye has taken significant steps towards improving people's quality of life in the field of municipal governance. It is the fundamental political vision of our municipalities to uphold the politics of service and the vision our President set 30 years ago. For this reason, we believe that maintaining a similar vision and understanding of service with the upcoming local elections will further strengthen our democratic values and social integrity in the national and international arena."
"There will not be another election within 4 years after these elections"
Director of Communications Altun said that they regard the March 31, 2024, local elections as an important milestone in Türkiye's journey towards democracy.
Expressing that they think that this election is also a further step in strengthening Türkiye's vision of regional leadership and recognise it as an important occasion that will increase the democratic maturity and social participation of Türkiye from a universal perspective, Director of Communications Altun noted:
"Like all previous elections, these elections will enable the Turkish people to participate more actively in democratic processes, thus contributing to the strengthening of our democracy. Another important aspect of the March 31 elections is that there will not be another election within 4 years after these elections. In these four years, Türkiye will carry on without losing momentum with the development initiatives launched under the leadership of our President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan. The services provided in recent years in every field, from communication to diplomacy, from economic development to infrastructure investments, will be maintained. In addition, the goal of entering the Century of Türkiye with a new and civil constitution will be the most important cause and agenda item for the next 4 years. Within the framework of this vision and as a regional and global actor, Türkiye will strive to build the Century of Türkiye by raising its democratic standards and increasing its levels of income and welfare. Our priorities in this period will continue to be advancing our mutual interests and increasing new and strategic cooperation with our Western allies. It is our most basic expectation as a requisite of an alliance relationship that Türkiye's political sensitivities, particularly the fight against terrorist organisations such as the PKK, FETO and DAESH, are respected. With the March 31 elections, Türkiye will not only add another successful election to its democratic culture but also prepare its provinces, particularly Istanbul and Ankara, for the Century of Türkiye.
Director of Communications Altun said that their most important vision after the elections will be national development, the restoration and reconstruction of the cities hit by the February 6 earthquake, and the transformation of cities with high earthquake risk, such as Istanbul, into resilient cities, adding:
"Türkiye will conduct its elections in accordance with democratic procedures as it has done thus far, respect the outcomes with both ruling and opposition parties, and, most importantly, as a stabilising power in the international arena, continue to establish the Century of Türkiye. Therefore, it is plausible to say that the March 31 Local Administrations Elections are set to have an impact on Türkiye's coming decades in terms of its internal and external dynamics."