With about a month left until the Nov. 1 early elections, Turkey's political parties are getting closer to finalizing their electoral manifestos. The Nationalist Movement Party (MHP) has made several updates and changes due to developments that occurred following the June 7 elections, according to sources close to the MHP. In the electoral manifesto that MHP is to announce on Oct. 3, the party's officials are reportedly focusing on a minimum wage pledge. The MHP had pledged during the June 7 elections to raise the minimum wage to TL 1,400 ($463), but MHP officials have indicated that for the Nov. 1 elections the party aims to increase the pledge to TL 1,800 ($600) if possible.
As MHP pledges are changed and updated, the party has also changed its slogan from "Walk with us Turkey" to "Vote for Turkey's future."
MHP Deputy Chairman Semih Yalçın told a local daily that the party is aware that Turkey is going through a critical period. Yalçın added that the MHP's election campaign would stress, "The MHP is Turkey and Turkey is everyone." Though the nationalist party aims to increase the minimum wage if elected, the party also prioritizes election security. As the party's results from the June 7 elections were harshly criticized by a number of MHP deputies who described the results as a failure, the MHP will go door-to-door to achieve a better outcome on Nov. 1.
During the June 7 elections, the MHP's electoral manifesto promised to put an end to the reconciliation process and "to not negotiate, but combat terror." In this regard, the party will once again focus on combating terror, especially with regard to the recently increasing terrorist attacks by the outlawed PKK throughout eastern and southeastern Turkey. Additionally, the topics of peace talks will once again top the agenda of the MHP, according to sources.
