Çeler: “We Will Not Join a Government We Cannot Hold Accountable”

“We cannot be part of a government that we cannot hold accountable,” Çeler said.

Speaking on Diyalog TV in a programme hosted by Cemre Akar, Çeler said the current government had lost public confidence over economic and social problems.

He said rebuilding the country would require investigating corruption, strengthening merit-based appointments in the public administration and ensuring accountability.

Çeler said the struggles faced by low-income citizens had become increasingly difficult, while serious problems persisted in healthcare, education and the cost of living.

Commenting on financial support measures announced ahead of the upcoming elections for Social Insurance pensioners, young people and other groups, Çeler said it was unacceptable to treat economic difficulties as though they had only recently emerged.

He warned against turning financial assistance announced during election periods into a means of winning votes.

“If you try to give contributions as if you are handing out charity, using them to win votes, that is shameful,” he said.

Çeler said it was impossible to expect people to continue trusting the current government while students were being educated in container classrooms and citizens were struggling with access to healthcare and the rising cost of living.

“We Cannot Be Part of a Government We Cannot Hold Accountable”

Çeler identified education, the economy, lack of merit, corruption, lack of accountability and security among the country’s main problems.

“I can say that we cannot be part of a government that we cannot hold accountable,” he said.

He said one of the ways to rebuild the country was to investigate corruption allegations from the past and added that parliamentary immunity should also be reconsidered.

Çeler said completely removing parliamentary immunity would require a constitutional amendment and argued that immunity covering statements made from the parliamentary podium should also be reviewed.

“There is a need for a government that can be held accountable, as citizens expect,” Çeler said, adding that the final decision on the matter would be made by the public.

TDP-CTP Cooperation

Çeler also addressed discussions about cooperation between TDP and the Republican Turkish Party (CTP), referring to their joint efforts during the presidential election and cooperation in several municipalities.

He said society wanted different groups to work together in various areas and that, if TDP were given the responsibility of forming a government, it would work with the public through the relevant ministries.

“If we are given the role of opposition, we will fight with the same understanding,” he said.

“TDP is the People’s Party. It is the representation of citizens in Parliament,” Çeler said, adding that a vote for TDP represented the voter’s own voice and representation.

He said TDP would fulfil whatever responsibility voters entrusted to it.

“Whatever responsibility citizens give us, we promise to carry it out,” Çeler said.

“I Did Not Ask Voters to Use the Mixed Vote”

Çeler also addressed the debate over the abolition of the mixed voting system, saying TDP had previously made its position on the issue clear.

He said he had previously been among the candidates who received a high number of preferential votes under the mixed voting system, but had never asked citizens to cast mixed votes for him, instead preferring voters to use the party stamp.

Çeler also warned that holding general and local elections on the same day could create serious confusion for voters, candidates and election organisers.

He said having a single electoral district would make campaigning more difficult for candidates and could create significant pressure during polling, counting and the overall organisation of the elections.

“TDP Has Very Strong Teams”

Çeler said TDP had strong teams preparing for the elections, including people who were not highly visible in public but had been working within the party for a long time.

He said the work of members serving on the Party Assembly, Central Executive Board and various committees would be brought to the forefront, while candidate and team presentation events would be organised in the coming period.

Çeler stressed that merit was a fundamental principle for TDP.

Referring to his time as Labour Minister, he said he had not removed undersecretaries from their positions, had maintained his links with the bureaucracy and had not made partisan appointments.

“We Are Not Against Capital”

Responding to criticism of TDP’s economic approach, Çeler said the party was not opposed to capital or investment but believed economic activity and investment should be carried out with the interests of society in mind.

He said TDP opposed situations in which public interests were ignored or taxes were evaded during investment projects.

He said the party sought an approach that would protect both employees and employers through a fair tax system and policies prioritising local labour.

Çeler also said domestic capital and investors should be protected, while digitalisation was important for reducing bureaucratic obstacles and making public services more efficient.

He stressed that inspections and oversight were among TDP’s main priorities and said the party would pursue comprehensive policies in healthcare, environmental sustainability, productivity and education.

Relations With Turkey

Responding to criticism concerning TDP’s approach to Turkey, Çeler said the party had never rejected communication or dialogue with Turkey.

Referring to the 2018 period, he said relations with Turkey had been conducted through sincere communication and on a project-based basis.

“Having differences of opinion does not mean having a fight,” Çeler said, stressing that the Turkish Cypriot community had its own social dynamics and economic needs.

He said TDP was not opposed to the water project with Turkey and did not fundamentally oppose efforts to establish an electricity interconnection between Turkey and the TRNC.

Çeler said some perceptions about TDP’s approach to relations with Turkey did not reflect the party’s actual position.

He also said TDP had never adopted a Party Assembly-level decision stating that it “did not want guarantor status.”

Relations with Turkey, he said, should continue on the basis of mutual respect and communication.

“We Cannot Plan the Future Without Knowing Our Population”

Çeler said a population census was fundamental to planning everything from education to public services and that the country’s population needed to be known in order to plan its future accurately.

He described education as one of the key areas for the country’s future and pointed to students being taught in container classrooms.

Çeler said oxygen levels and classroom capacity in container classrooms negatively affected educational conditions and stressed the need to strengthen educational infrastructure.

He also said TDP had strengthened its communication channels to make it easier for citizens to reach the party and its MPs, adding that accessibility was a fundamental principle of the party’s work.

“Justice Delayed Is Not Justice”

Addressing constitutional reform, Çeler described the constitution as the fundamental contract between society and the state.

He said constitutional amendments should not be driven by personal or political needs, but should instead be based on comprehensive work by experts and an assessment of all possible consequences.

Such a process, he said, should not be rushed.

Çeler also addressed the problems faced by subcontracted workers, saying many were working under difficult conditions and long hours.

He said the working conditions of employees hired through state tenders needed to be more effectively monitored and that their rights under labour law and social security legislation should be reconsidered.

Çeler said that if TDP were represented in Parliament, it would also work to resolve the problems faced by subcontracted workers.