The opposition vows to dismantle Erdogan’s reforms

Six parties stand united against Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan, who has been in power for nearly 20 years. First as Prime Minister since 2003, then as President from 2014.

Erdogan’s era was marked by more Islamist elements and a curtailment of democratic rights. After the failed coup attempt in 2016, he began to go even further.

joint candidate

Analysts estimate that 90 percent of the media in the country today is controlled by the government or its business allies.

Thousands of opposition activists, many of them Kurds, are in prison after being accused of terrorism-related activities.

On February 13, the opposition bloc will present a joint candidate in the presidential elections. The 2,300-point program has set its sights on undoing many of the levers of power Erdogan’s policies have drained from parliament and ministries in recent years.

“Stop” the power to issue decrees

According to the electoral platform, the President of the Republic will only be allowed to sit for seven years and the Prime Minister will have more power. The parliamentary system must be strengthened, as he says: “We will put an end to the president’s power to rule by decree.”

When the election platform was presented at Monday’s ceremony, the biggest applause came after promising to crack down on corruption and restore the strength of the country’s traditional institutions such as state media.

The opposition calls on the state television channel TRT and the Anatolian News Agency to establish itself according to the principles of independence and impartiality. Neither company wanted to comment quickly on the outcome.