Yeni Parti's program released: Emphasis on Six Arrows and return to parliamentary system

A new political force has emerged in Turkey with the launch of Yeni Parti (New Party), founded by 91 lawmakers who previously belonged to the Republican People's Party (CHP). The party unveiled its program, titled "For a Common Future," outlining its vision for the country.

The program's initial section, "Call for Change," criticizes Turkey's current economic and political order, declaring an intention to "change this dark order." Yeni Parti states its ambition extends beyond merely forming a new political entity; it aims to transform Turkish politics, governance, the functioning of life, and the nation's destiny. This transformation, the program clarifies, involves altering the state's operational mechanisms, economic priorities, political discourse, and the relationship between the government and citizens.

Central to Yeni Parti's ideology is a commitment to the founding philosophy of the Republic, based on national sovereignty. The party identifies Mustafa Kemal Atatürk's ideal of an independent, democratic, and sovereign Turkey as its guiding principle. It explicitly adopts the "Six Arrows", republicanism, nationalism, populism, statism, secularism, and revolutionism, and states its political understanding is nourished by contemporary social democratic values.

A significant policy objective is the restoration of a parliamentary system based on the separation of powers. Yeni Parti aims to bolster the Grand National Assembly's legislative and oversight capacities, ensuring the government remains accountable to parliament. The presidency would be redefined within neutral, unifying, and symbolic constitutional boundaries. The program also calls for establishing binding mechanisms for equal representation of women and youth in politics, enacting a political ethics law, increasing transparency in political financing, lowering the election threshold, and strengthening internal party democracy.

Furthermore, the party pledges to empower local governments with administrative and financial autonomy, fully implementing the European Charter of Local Self-Government. It vows to end the practice of appointing trustees to replace elected local officials without a definitive court ruling. The program also introduces the concept of "crimes against the city" into the legal system, emphasizing urban planning based on scientific, ecological, social, and participatory principles. Regarding the Kurdish issue, Yeni Parti proposes a lasting solution through a democratic, egalitarian, and participatory order, asserting that ending terrorism will pave the way for such a system. The right to a mother tongue is also affirmed, with a commitment to citizens' ability to learn and use their native languages.