President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan announced his ruling Justice and Development Party’s (AK Party) election manifesto on Tuesday, building on the party’s years of experience in municipality works and emphasizing a vision for future challenges.
The AK Party’s understanding of municipalism dates back to Erdoğan being elected mayor of Istanbul in 1994. His success in the metropolitan city opened the path for Erdoğan to become his first prime minister in 2003 and eventually, president in 2014, after which he could convey his experience in municipal works to a country-wide level of services. After Türkiye switched to the presidential system, strengthening the executive, the relationship between the central and local administrations was reorganized. Within this scope, a Local Administrations General Directorate was established as part of the Environment and Urbanization Ministry, while a Presidential Local Administrations Policies Committee was also formed to reinforce coordination and harmony between the two units.
The election manifesto titled "True Municipalism for 'Century of Türkiye' Cities" emphasizes 13 principles: productive, visionary, compassionate, sustainable, innovative, progressive, modern, strong, inclusive, dynamic, fair, accessible and patriotic municipalism. With the understanding that development starts at the local level, the party is committed to undertaking projects that will not only solve the problems of the day but will serve for the next 50-100 years. Branding of the cities will also be a main focus and mayors of the party are expected to pursue policies matching the spirit and character of the provinces.
In terms of participation, transparency and accountability, the party aimed to increase inclusivity by strengthening mukhtars, local neighborhood leaders who head the smallest unit of Türkiye’s demographic components, reconstructing the city councils and increasing the number of women. Even though still far behind the envisioned goals, the number of female mayors increased from 0.9% in 2009 to 3% in 2019, while the number of women in municipal councils increased from 4.5% in 2009 to 11.1% in 2019.
Digitalization also forms one of the main elements of the AK Party’s programs for municipalities. Already having created the e-government (e-devlet) and e-municipality systems for digitalized public services, the party is working on an "e-democracy platform" through which electronic voting, online negotiation and e-participation procedures will be spread across provinces.
Risk-proof buildings
Building resistant cities, which will be invulnerable to earthquakes and rooted against the effects of climate change, such as water stress, floods and other risks, will be at the core of the party’s policies. Within this scope, an "Urban Transformation Mobilization" will start, through which risky buildings will be rebuilt, and horizontal architecture will be encouraged. Short-, medium- and long-term macro investment perspectives will be formed according to cities’ 5, 10, 25 and 100 years-long potential development paths.
Moreover, measures will be taken against the economic and social transformation risks that result from irregular migration, while the voluntary return of Syrians under a temporary protection status will be promoted.
Green life spaces
As Türkiye, located in the Mediterranean basin, increasingly feels the negative effects of climate change, environment, sustainability and efficiency also top the agenda of the AK Party. To create "walkable" cities, projects to increase pedestrian movement, decrease traffic, and create parks and resting points will be realized. Net-zero emission and zero-waste cities will be formed in accordance with Türkiye’s pledge to reach zero emissions by 2053. Electric vehicles will be encouraged as public transportation means, bicycle roads will be increased, renewable sources will be promoted, and green areas will be expanded. Türkiye’s forest rate, which was 20.8 million hectares in 2002, has been increased to 23.1 million hectares today, while 213 new city parks, referred to as "millet bahçesi" (translated as a "public garden") were built across 56 provinces. Work is ongoing for another 283 parks.
Productive cities
City economies prioritizing social welfare will be designed to ensure production within themselves and compete with other cities and bring themselves out on the international arena. The AK Party aims to pursue policies that will distinguish cities positively amid global competition and brand them. As with the central administration, the perspective for the local level will be to achieve a development model based on investment, employment, production and export.
To boost the economy, infrastructure investments for businesses, including organized industrial zones and technoparks, will be given emphasis. The frequency and joint planning between local administrations and industry and business representatives will be reorganized. In rural areas, the potential of human and natural resources will be sustainably made use of, while agricultural production will be encouraged. Services for the rural population will be enhanced. In agricultural production, projects will be developed that aim to increase employment and value-added products. The party further aims to develop market chains and support investments toward processing, storing and packaging.
The AK Party and Erdoğan will, in the upcoming weeks, try to convey this new vision for local administration throughout the country’s 81 provinces. The multifaceted manifesto tackles a wide-ranging portfolio of challenges and pledges projects that will increase the socio-economic and green profile of Türkiye’s cities. It remains to be seen what the main opposition Republican People's Party (CHP) will draft for the elections as their manifesto has not been announced yet.
Some 64 million eligible voters are set to elect mayors and local administrators in 81 provinces in March this year.
The AK Party is eager to recapture key cities, including Istanbul and the capital Ankara, which the CHP has run since it clinched a surprise victory in the 2019 elections for the first time in over two decades.
In the aftermath of last May’s general elections, which Erdoğan and his ruling People’s Alliance won against a six-party opposition bloc, municipal elections on March 31 are a test of popular support for all competing sides. Meanwhile, the CHP has not yet announced its election manifesto.