Declaration read by the Deputy Chairman has been accepted.

The CHP's 38th Ordinary Congress convened today at the Ankara Sports Hall under the slogan, "Congress of Democracy and Unity in the Second Century." While speeches were being delivered at the congress, an 86-member final declaration commission, consisting of representatives from all provinces, 3 Party Assembly members, and two deputies, met. The declaration drafted by the commission was read by CHP Deputy Chairman Yunus Emre, who is also a member of the commission.

"CENTENNIAL DECLARATION"

The final declaration, titled "Centennial Declaration," which was accepted unanimously by the delegates, is as follows:

* "The Republican People's Party is the party of revolutions and revolutionaries. The CHP emerged from the intellectual and practical accumulation of Ottoman-Turkish modernization that began with the Tanzimat. It was founded on September 9, 1923, as a continuation of the Association for the Defense of Rights of Anatolia and Rumelia, which was formed by those who declared the Second Constitutional Era in 1908 by saying 'Down with Tyranny, Long Live Liberty' and by heroes who came together to conduct the country's struggle for independence and liberation after the world war. Therefore, by its very existence, the CHP is the party of innovation, change, liberation, freedom, and independence.

* The CHP values secular education, science, and reason in order to reach the level of contemporary civilization, which is the goal shown to us by the Great Leader Gazi Mustafa Kemal Atatürk. Today, it is firmly committed to the values of democracy, human rights, and the rule of law that define contemporary civilization. The CHP believes that these values are a compass that will help us navigate safely through the stormy seas of the 21st century. As members of the Republican People's Party, we have gathered in Ankara to make important decisions regarding the future of our party and our country at a time when both Turkey and the world are going through a painful and difficult period in the centennial year of our party and our Republic. Today, in a dangerous and changing world, we declare our party's centennial declaration for a fairer, more egalitarian, safer, freer, more democratic, stronger, and more respected Turkey.

"ACCORDING TO THE CHP, THE KURDISH ISSUE IS ESSENTIALLY A PROBLEM OF DEMOCRACY"

As free and responsible citizens exercising their democratic state rights, democracy in Turkey has decayed. The most fundamental rights and freedoms—such as freedom of thought and expression, the right to assemble and protest, the ability to express opposing views, the ability to criticize the government, the ability to share on social media without fear, the ability to support different parties and ideas without fear of being profiled, and the ability to be treated equally despite differences—have been curtailed, and democracy has been reduced to a simple act of voting repeated every 5 years. We will establish a democratic and secular system in our country that is based on the principle of separation of powers, has the capacity to make effective and rapid decisions, has a strong legislative body, and has checks and balances that function effectively.

* Sovereignty in Turkey has unfortunately been usurped today, but with the struggle of the CHP, it will belong to the nation unconditionally. We will establish a Turkey where the rule of law is ensured, where citizens trust the decisions made, and where there are judges and prosecutors whose only purpose is to ensure justice. We will provide our country with a state mechanism where human rights are guaranteed, where all forms of violence are opposed and no tolerance is shown for them, and which fights intensively against terrorism, drugs, gang formation, and organized crime.

* A Turkey awaits us where functioning institutions and meritocratic cadres exist, where people are employed based on their talents rather than party loyalty or political preferences, where the politicization of state institutions has ended, and where laws are applied equally to everyone. We can build a happy future not by dividing society into identity ghettos, but by uniting it on the basis of citizenship. According to the CHP, the Kurdish issue is essentially a problem of democracy and will be resolved in the Grand National Assembly of Turkey (TBMM)through steps to be taken on the path of democracy, human rights, and the rule of law.

"THE PATH HAS BEEN PAVED FOR THE INTELLECTUAL FRAGMENTATION OF FUTURE GENERATIONS"

* The greatest war is the war against ignorance. The education system in Turkey has been deliberately and intentionally destroyed. The education system has been destabilized by a series of scandals involving stolen exam questions and changes that treat our children like guinea pigs. Alternatives parallel to basic education, which is based on Republican values and the principle of secularism, have been created, and the path has been paved for the intellectual fragmentation of future generations. We want our neighborhood and village schools back. We will ensure that the teaching profession becomes the most respected profession again, just as it was during the era of the great Atatürk.

* Under a CHP government, for a strong Turkey consisting of strong individuals, we will raise generations who are free in thought, free in conscience, and free in wisdom, and we will establish an approach in national education that prioritizes critical thinking rather than rote learning, that questions, and that takes reason and science as its guide. We will build an education system that is not constantly changing but has the ability to adapt to necessary innovations. We will restore the free-thinking environment of universities, which are the cradles of science and progress, abolish the Higher Education Council (YÖK), protect the principles of academic merit, and put an end to the appointment of rectors.

* With a strengthened education system and free universities, Turkey will become a country that does not passively follow and imitate developing new technologies and innovations, but one that contributes to the development of these new technologies in both civilian and military fields. We will not lose our country's youth to foreign countries through brain drain; our youth will be able to access quality education, broad job opportunities, and a bright future in Turkey. Building high talent is the most fundamental goal of the CHP's education and scientific development policies. Because in the new era, one of the most important elements of power with which countries compete is technology and scientific development.

"WE WILL FIGHT AGAINST INCOME AND WEALTH INEQUALITY"

* We are a strong society. There is room for all of us under this roof. We are aware of the importance of social identities that the government wants to make us forget by creating polarization along the axes of cultural identities. The CHP is the party of workers, civil servants, farmers, retirees, the unemployed, students, and the oppressed segments who cannot get a sufficient share of our national wealth. We will fight against income and wealth inequality by establishing a social welfare state that will cover all our citizens who cannot sufficiently benefit from social expenditures, from apartment building staff to the disabled, street vendors, and widows and orphans.

* It is the state's duty to create an economic environment where everyone can work. Unemployment is the most significant social problem that decays our social life, tears families apart, and alienates the individual from society. Under a CHP government, the primary priority of economic and social policies will be to ensure that every citizen can work in jobs worthy of human dignity and that no child goes to bed hungry. Instead of social assistance practices based on the government's concept of benevolence, we will implement a welfare state where everyone feels like a true citizen, based on a rights-based social state approach, primarily through Family Support Insurance. Turkey is the home of us all. Under this beautiful roof, no one will be left without support, and none of our citizens will feel alone.

"WE WILL IMPLEMENT AN ECONOMIC POLICY THAT TARGETS PRODUCTION AND INCOME GROWTH"

* An innovative and populist economy that serves the people, not gangs and cronies. The greatest burden of the economic damage caused to the country by the AKP government is borne by low-income groups, primarily workers, civil servants, small tradespeople, and retirees. Misguided economic policies, unqualified staff, heavy taxes imposed on lower and middle classes without regard for justice, and stagnant investments in low-value-added areas instead of high-value-added production have blocked Turkey from realizing its true potential in producing global brands and values within the 21st-century competitive environment.

* The order of corruption and waste is squandering our country's resources. While the impoverished public struggles to meet their most basic needs such as housing and food on one hand, the President and his close circle cannot give up the pomp and splendor in their palaces on the other. As a result of the government's policies, gangs that have multiplied their wealth have come to dominate the country's economy. As the CHP, we will put an end to this order. Instead of policies based on borrowing and rent-seeking, we will implement an economic policy that targets production and income growth. This program will have both an innovative and populist content. We will carry out the technological and digital transformation of our industry.

* With a new planning and incentive policy, we will make our economy one that produces high-value-added, high-brand-value products and services, and we will establish robust and extensive trade networks that will enable us to export these products and services. By attaching importance to regional development and regional investments, and by considering the characteristics of the regions, we will spread our industry and production areas equally across every part of Turkey as far as economic criteria allow. Thus, we will offer employment and welfare opportunities to our people from every region. We will eliminate socio-economic inequalities between provinces and regions and ensure a fair distribution of income.

"WE WILL IMPLEMENT IT AS A FUNDAMENTAL PRINCIPLE"

* Everything we see in the world is the work of women. With the mission it carries from its history, the CHP is an unwavering defender of gender equality. We are proud of the point the women's movement has reached in our country and the struggle for freedom and equality that women are waging. We are aware of how important the struggle for gender equality is to end the darkness in our country. As the CHP, we will put up a great fight to remove all kinds of obstacles in front of women in the economic, social, and political spheres.

* We will implement gender equality, especially equal representation, as a fundamental principle in our party's operations and candidate selection. Ending violence against women is among the CHP's primary goals. We will take all necessary steps to put the Istanbul Convention back into effect and to ensure the full implementation of international human rights and women's rights principles in this field in our country.

“WE WILL SOLVE PROBLEMS WITH HUMANE, RATIONAL, AND WORLD-CLASS POLICIES”

* We will ensure that all refugees and illegal immigrants return to their countries. As a result of the government's misguided policies and dirty deals, Turkey has turned into a warehouse for refugees and illegal immigrants. We will not allow all the refugees and illegal immigrants that the West refuses to accept to accumulate in our country and become a burden on our national resources. We will ensure that the millions of refugees and illegal immigrants we have hosted to date return to their own countries.

* We will solve the problems caused by refugees and illegal immigrants—who cause great harm to our national security, lifestyle, and economy, and who have also become subjects of ruthless labor exploitation—with humane, rational, and world-class policies. As part of the understanding that 'borders are a matter of honor,' we will increase security at our borders, which the government has turned into a sieve, and completely stop illegal entries into our country.

“STRONG, PARTICIPATORY, AND EGALITARIAN LOCAL GOVERNMENTS”

* Strong, participatory, and egalitarian local governments. As the CHP, we advocate for a social-minded local government approach that considers the priorities of the city and its citizens, and aims to deliver services equally and fairly to every part of the city and every segment of society through a participatory management style. We will redefine the relationship between the city and the individual by making our cities resilient to disasters and by carrying out work that increases social solidarity and community resilience.

* By prioritizing reason, science, and technology, and by opening decision-making processes to public participation, we will ensure that municipal services are provided in a way that addresses the needs of our citizens, free from rent-seeking and self-interest. We will create a local government model that prioritizes service to the city and the people, and develops democratic participation mechanisms.

* By determining correct policies against crises, we will produce solutions to problems from within the city, taking into account the desires and needs of city residents. By establishing a new center-local balance, we will pave the way for social needs to be met by the units closest to the people. We will put an end to the removal of locally elected officials from office through the practice of appointing trustees (kayyum).

“CITIES RESILIENT TO EARTHQUAKES AND OTHER DISASTERS, A RESILIENT SOCIETY”

* Cities resilient to earthquakes and other disasters, a resilient society. Due to incomplete and incorrect public policies that fail to reduce disaster risk, lack preparedness, cannot provide strong intervention, and fail to ensure rapid recovery, Turkey has become a disaster-prone country. While it may not be possible to prevent natural events that cause disasters, it is possible to build disaster-resistant structures and resilient cities, and it is extremely important to create a civil society prepared for disasters. Natural disasters such as earthquakes, floods, epidemics, forest fires, and droughts, as well as human-induced disasters such as wars, conflicts, sudden migration waves, and chemical, biological, radiological, or nuclear catastrophes, are among the greatest threats and risks of the coming period.

* In the face of these disasters, we will make our society, our cities, and existing governance systems more resilient. Resilient structures, resilient cities, prepared institutions, and a public administration approach that is not afraid to take initiative will be our fundamental principles in this field. To be prepared for natural and human-induced disasters, social resilience is as important as physical resilience. To this end, we will implement the necessary social policy practices, a participatory governance approach where the public is actively involved in decision-making processes, and advanced crisis management mechanisms.

“WE WILL ENSURE THAT MINING ACTIVITIES ARE CARRIED OUT WITHOUT HARMING THE ECOSYSTEM”

* Combating the climate crisis, a livable world. The climate crisis and the problems expected to arise regarding food and water security, which are expected to increase day by day, are of close concern to our country and our geography. It is predicted that irregular migration, regional conflicts, terrorism, and instability will increase due to water and food crises. The fact that Turkey is a neighbor to geographies expected to be most affected by the climate crisis makes us even more vulnerable to all these risks. We will prepare Turkey for the future by considering not only short-term problems but also long-term risks such as the climate crisis.

* For a livable world, we will take measures to increase energy efficiency and the use of renewable energy, and to reduce fossil fuel consumption. We will take all necessary measures to protect forests, agricultural lands, seas, and water resources, and to raise awareness about ecosystem rights. We will ensure that mining activities are carried out in an environmentally friendly manner without harming the ecosystem. In addition, we will support sustainable and planned agriculture and livestock, and ensure that all our citizens have access to safe food.

“TURKEY CAN ACHIEVE THE POSITION IT DESERVES IN THE WORLD WITH AN EFFECTIVE AND PEACEFUL FOREIGN POLICY”

* A strong and respected Turkey that is a member of the European Union. Turkey can achieve the position it deserves in the world with an effective and peaceful foreign policy. Furthermore, foreign policy must be conducted independently of domestic political interests and inter-party disputes. The perception that Turkey has many enemies is being deliberately fueled by the government. However, it should not be forgotten that Turkey also has friends with whom its interests overlap and with whom it can act together.

* Turkey, which has vital interests to protect in Cyprus, the Balkans, the Black Sea, the Caucasus, Central Asia, the Middle East, Africa, the Mediterranean, and the Aegean Sea, can only reach its goals in such a vast geography through merit-based and strong diplomacy, regional cooperation, and steps that uphold Gazi Mustafa Kemal Atatürk's principle of 'Peace at home, peace in the world.' Turkey's process of becoming a member of the European Union is one of the greatest projects in the history of the Republic. Under a CHP government, Turkey will strictly pursue the goal of full membership in the European Union and will fulfill the political and economic criteria necessary for EU membership. Meeting these criteria is a debt we owe to our citizens, who deserve to live in a developed country, beyond the goal of full EU membership.

“THE CHP IS FACED WITH THE DUTY OF COMING TO POWER”

* The CHP was born as the political movement of the struggle for independence under conditions where our homeland was occupied. It realized the Atatürk Reforms, which aimed to elevate our country to the level of contemporary civilization. In the multi-party era, it became the tireless defender of the ideas of democracy, freedom, equality, and justice. During the twenty-one-year rule of the AKP, the CHP has also waged the most determined struggle against the one-man mentality. The CHP, which was founded in the past to save the homeland from occupation, is today faced with the duty of coming to power to save our country from an authoritarian presidential regime. However, the mission of the CHP will not end with the achievement of this duty; our struggle to make Turkey a country of happy people will continue forever. Doing what has not been done and achieving what has not been achieved is in the roots of the Republican People's Party. For this reason, we have no doubt that we can accomplish all difficult tasks with great perseverance and determination.” 

News Source: 12punto