During the sessions in the Turkish Parliament discussing the budgets of the Presidency and the Ministry of Labor and Social Security, DEM Party MPs harshly criticized the budget management and the current system of governance.
DEM Party spokesperson Ayşegül Doğan said that the budget falls short of meeting the needs of women, young people, children, and workers.
Emphasizing that approximately 20 million people in Turkey live on the brink of starvation, Ayşegül Doğan stated that the daily expenditure of the Presidency, the Directorate of Religious Affairs, and the Presidency of Communications amounts to 426 million lira.
Criticizing the Presidency of Communications for spreading propaganda and disinformation, Doğan pointed out that a new and inclusive language should be created instead of perception management in the peace process.
Speaking at the General Assembly, DEM Party Deputy Saruhan Oluç stated that the Presidential Government System is “excessively centralized” and that democratic governance is not possible with this structure.
Oluç emphasized the need to balance excessive centralization, calling for the sharing of certain central powers in the political and legal spheres and the transfer of certain powers to local administrations.
“This excessive centralization must be balanced. Sharing certain central powers in the political and legal spheres, transferring certain central powers to local authorities, strengthening local democracy, and strengthening the concept and mechanisms of local and decentralized governance are among the first steps that must be taken.”
Remarking that strengthening local democracy is a fundamental element of democratic regimes, Oluç said that the practice of trustees lacks legal and democratic legitimacy. The MP stressed that Turkey needs a new liberal and democratic social contract and constitution that encompasses all peoples, and called for comprehensive reform of the current system.