17/04/2023 | Writer: Selma Koçak
İYİ Party election manifesto includes the struggle against sexual-orientation-based discrimination. However the same party also promises to isolate and deport immigrants and to start “pushback” over the borders, by adopting a discriminatory policy.
İYİ (Good) Party, vying for Presidential and 28th Term Parliamentary Elections, announced its election manifesto.
İYİ Party Chair Meral Akşener emphasized justice in the meeting held at ATO Congresium:
“The first element of the social contract is justice. Justice is the virtue of providing deserved living standards to people. Sense of justice in a democratic society not only ensures equality before the law, but also paves the way for social development. Today sense of justice in our country, under AK Party, has turned into a concept that is far from universality and which the members of the ruling party benefits from. Nowadays, justice means to protect the partisans.”
The website established as a part of the election campaign of the party, includes both general and personalized declarations under the title “Turkey Will Write History”. It is possible to access personalized promises by replying some questions take place in the website.
Promise for struggling against sexual orientation-based discrimination
The full text of the 300-page manifesto also includes the prevention of discrimination based on sexual orientation.
“We will adopt the principle of equality for everyone in order to prevent sexual orientation-based discrimination, we will also increase and strengthen legal measures against violence based on sexual orientation.”
Discrimination against immigrants: Isolation, pushback
On the other hand there are also discriminatory promises against immigrants in the last part of the manifesto titled “Strong and Respected Turkey”. Stating that they are adopting the principle of “The frontier is the honor!” İYİ Party said that they would give a start to “pushback policy”, which means violation of international law, and would deport refugees by isolating them.
“Having collected and isolated all illegal immigrants in the removal centers,, we are going to start deportation/extradition of refugees gradually.”
Click to access full text of the manifesto in Turkish.
Tags: human rights
