Director of Communications Altun said: "We regard the March 31, 2024, local elections as an important milestone in Türkiye's journey towards democracy."
The article titled "Local Administrations Elections in Türkiye", written by Presidency's Director of Communications Fahrettin Altun, was published in many newspapers and websites of the TRNC media, particularly Halkın Sesi, Vatan, Kıbrıs Türk Haber.
In his article, Director of Communications Altun stated that Türkiye has led the way in holding regular, fair, and transparent elections since the transition to the multi-party system in 1946 and noted that the elections in Türkiye are conducted with the oversight of independent judges by means of institutions such as the Supreme Election Council (YSK).
Director of Communications Altun pointed out that Türkiye has a sophisticated political culture in terms of citizens' trust in the ballot box and made the following assessments:
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. 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. I would like to emphasise that we 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. It is an inevitable fact that this process plays an effective role in strengthening the public's democratic participation and communication with local administrations.
Emphasising that fair, transparent and regular elections are the most fundamental elements of modern democracies, Altun pointed out that in the presidential and parliamentary elections held on May 14, 2023, Türkiye had the third highest voter turnout among the Organisation for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD) countries.
Underlining that the Local Administrations Elections to be held on Sunday will enable the Turkish people to participate more effectively in democratic processes, Altun said, "We regard the March 31, 2024, local elections as an important milestone in Türkiye's journey towards democracy. We think that this election is also a further step in strengthening Türkiye's vision of regional leadership, and we recognise it as an important occasion that will increase the democratic maturity and social participation of our country from a universal perspective."
"Our democratic values will strengthen"
Altun stated that what distinguishes Türkiye's innovative municipal understanding is that it aims to improve the quality of life of the people through technology and sustainable development projects, transparent and citizen-oriented governance, and added:
"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."