İncirli: CTP to Conduct Population Census in Government

Speaking on Hakikat Web TV with Güven Arıklı, İncirli said the CTP would establish a government that would strengthen state institutions, ensure oversight, make no distinction between citizens and restore public trust.

“Poor Governance Also Fuels Security Problems”

İncirli highlighted growing security concerns in the country and said the party would call an extraordinary session of the Republic Assembly on Monday, August 17, with “Public Security” as the main agenda item.

“Let us all acknowledge that people are currently experiencing a security crisis, both socially and economically. One of the duties of the Assembly is oversight. Let us fulfil that duty. That is the reason for our call,” İncirli said.

She said the government’s measures on security were insufficient, adding that poor governance, corruption and irregularities were also contributing to security problems and creating economic, social and political costs for the country.

İncirli said conducting a population census would be among the first steps of a CTP government, stressing that knowing how many people live in the country, who they are, where they live and under what status they reside was one of the basic requirements of sound governance.

She also said people entering the country should be effectively monitored throughout the subsequent process and stressed the importance of communication between institutions. Rather than intervening after crimes occur, preventive mechanisms should be strengthened, she added.

“State Institutions Exist to Serve People”

Speaking about the approach the CTP would adopt if it came to power, İncirli said the right form of politics was to strengthen state institutions and ensure they served the public.

“State institutions exist to serve people. They exist to conduct oversight, ensure security, provide healthcare and education services, and carry out planning. The state exists not for politicians, but for its institutions to serve the public,” she said.

İncirli also said a CTP government would accelerate public procedures so that citizens would not have to visit numerous institutions to complete a single task, adding that they would adopt an inclusive approach that embraced the entire society.

“We Will Establish a Predictable, Rules-Based Economy”

İncirli said the main problem facing the economy was not only the budget deficit but also the loss of public confidence in the government.

She said restoring the economy required a balance between revenues and expenditures, fiscal discipline and confidence in the markets. She also warned that constantly changing decisions and regulations were seriously damaging the investment environment.

“CTP will create an investment climate that inspires confidence. We will restore the trust that has been lost,” İncirli said, adding that they would establish a predictable and rules-based economic structure.

Turning to the business community, İncirli accused the current government of creating unfair competition.

“Justice is very important in the business world. Practices that create unfair competition or are unjust will not exist under a CTP government. CTP will establish a fair, transparent and accountable business environment,” she said.

“We Will Establish a System Where Everyone Feels Part of This Country”

İncirli said the CTP was now focusing less on debates about opposition politics and more on what it would do in government.

She said the party’s main objective was to bring peace to the country, increase prosperity and establish a system in which everyone would feel they were part of the country.

Pointing to Cyprus’s geographical position and historical characteristics, İncirli said the country had significant potential that could be unlocked through strong institutions, oversight, planning and good governance.

She stressed that citizens of Turkish origin were also an integral part of the society, adding that under a CTP government people would not be divided according to where they were born, their origins or their political views.

İncirli said they would establish an inclusive system in which everyone would benefit from public services equally and fairly.

“A Cyprus Settlement Is Also Important for Regional Peace, Cooperation and Prosperity”

İncirli also addressed the Cyprus problem, saying that resolving it would play an important role in unlocking Cyprus’s full potential.

She said a settlement was necessary not only for Turkish Cypriots and Greek Cypriots but also for regional peace, cooperation and prosperity.

Noting that previous negotiation processes had failed to produce results, İncirli said it would be unacceptable for a new 5+1 process to end without an outcome.

She said political equality should not be subject to debate, the convergences reached up to the 2017 Crans-Montana talks should be reaffirmed, and negotiations should be conducted within a defined timeframe.

İncirli also stressed that if the process collapsed for reasons not stemming from the Turkish Cypriot side, there should be no return to the old status quo.

“We will move towards a settlement of the Cyprus problem step by step and gradually,” she said.

İncirli said they supported the methodology put forward by President Tufan Erhürman and expressed the belief that resolving the Cyprus problem would also contribute to resolving regional issues.