Sunday's local elections ‘essential milestone’ in Türkiye’s journey towards democracy: Official

By Diyar Guldogan

WASHINGTON (AA) - Türkiye will hold another democratic election on Sunday, the country's Communications Director Fahrettin Altun said.

"We regard the March 31, 2024, local elections as an essential milestone in Türkiye's journey towards democracy," Altun said in an article published in more than 50 media outlets in 13 countries.

Türkiye is heading to the polls on Sunday to elect city mayors, district mayors, and other local officials who will serve for the next five years, including in the hotly contested cities of Istanbul, Ankara, and Izmir.

In the March 31 local elections, more than 61 million voters nationwide will cast their votes at over 200,000 polling stations with candidates from 34 political parties competing.

"Türkiye's commitment to democratic values and innovative vision regarding local administrations, highlighted by the March 31 local elections, is of utmost importance nationally and internationally," Altun said.

The campaigns conducted in "safe and fair" conditions during this election process demonstrate that Türkiye is "one of the leading countries" in the region in terms of "democratic maturity" and the significance placed on local administrations, he added.

Stressing that fair, transparent, and regular elections are the most fundamental components of modern democracies, Altun said, that since transitioning to a multi-party system in 1946, Türkiye has been "a leader in holding regular, fair, and transparent elections."

Utilizing institutions such as the Supreme Election Council (YSK), elections in Türkiye are conducted with the oversight of independent judges, he said.

"Therefore, Türkiye has a sophisticated political culture ensuring election security and citizens' trust in the ballot box."

- High turnout rates in Türkiye

The participation rates in elections in Türkiye demonstrate trust in elections and ballot boxes, Altun said.

Regarding the high turnout, he said Türkiye became the third country with the highest election participation among the Organization for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) countries in the presidential and parliamentary elections held last May, with a domestic turnout rate at 88.92% on May 14, and 85.72% in the second round of the presidential elections on May 28.

"According to the data from the OECD and the International Institute for Democracy and Electoral Assistance (International IDEA), Türkiye surpassed many Western OECD members, such as the US, France, Germany, and the UK, regarding the domestic election participation rate on May 14," he added.

Türkiye places a "high value" on local administrations, who are the significant interlocutors in answering people's needs and expectations and have a vision and perspective appropriate for the times, he said.

"This election is also a further step in strengthening Türkiye's vision of regional leadership, and we recognize it as a momentous occasion that will increase the democratic maturity and social participation of our country from a universal perspective.

"Moreover, like all previous elections, these will enable the Turkish people to participate more actively in democratic processes, thus strengthening our democracy," Altun said.

Türkiye will conduct its elections as per democratic procedures as it has done thus far, and respect the outcomes with both ruling and opposition parties, he stressed.