The ruling Justice and Development Party's (AK Party) 29th Consultation and Assessment Meeting is expected to be launched today under the chairmanship of President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan. The camp will be held at the Eliz Hotel in the capital Ankara's Kızılcahamam district, and the party's central executive committee members, central discipline committee members, founding members, deputies, women's and youth branches, ministers and vice ministers will attend. The main agenda of the camp is expected to include the presidential system, domestic and foreign policies and the economy. The camp program will start with an opening speech by President Erdoğan, the party chairman, on Saturday.
Then, AK Party Deputy Chairman Erkan Kandemir and Mahir Ünal will make presentations about the party's Central Executive Committee's work and AK Party Group Chairman Naci Bostancı will also make a presentation about the party's works in Parliament.
Following Vice President Fuat Oktay's presentation about the presidential system, Justice Minister Abdulhamit Gül, Interior Minister Süleyman Soylu and Foreign Minister Mevlüt Çavuşoğlu will make their own presentations.
On Sunday, Treasury and Finance Minister Berat Albayrak will give a speech on the national economy.
The camp will end with Erdoğan's closing speech after the process of consultation and assessment.
The camp is being launched before the preparations for the party's upcoming congress. The AK party has until May 2021 for its seventh ordinary congress; however, the party will not wait until then and is expected to hold a congress in September 2020. Apart from preparations for the congress, the party will also go through a renewal and amelioration period in its goal to build a better Turkey in 2023. Within this scope, the party will initiate new policies, targets and approaches from every angle.
As a part of the renewal process, the AK Party administration started to signal changes in the party's structuring after the March 31 local elections. A period of training aimed at AK Party organizations has begun. During this period, it was explained how the party has to restructure according to the new system, and new work methods were revealed. Both the organizational structure and the working style of the party is to be changed in accordance with the presidential system.
On June 24, 2018, Turkey officially switched its administrative structure through an election and embraced the presidential system, leaving the parliamentary system behind. The presidency directed its focus to the issue and urged the State Supervisory Council to inspect the state institutions and determine what kind of reforms around which areas are needed.
The party always underlines its process of rejuvenating itself and its struggle to win the support of the people by considering their problems, wishes and suggestions. Besides renewing the organizations, there will be a parting of ways with executives who cannot keep pace with the party's vision.
Proposal on changes in local admin regulations to be tabled in Parliament
Meanwhile, the AK Party is also planning to table a decision on local administrations that proposes radical changes in regulations.
The proposal will be submitted to the main opposition Republican People's Party (CHP) and the Nationalist Movement Party (MHP) next week. Depending on suggestions from both parties, changes are expected in the draft proposal. The commission consisting of municipal mayors, chaired by Vice President Fuat Oktay, will make the final regulations in the proposal.
The content of changes was determined in President Erdoğan's meetings with metropolitan municipality mayors.
Mehmet Özhaseki, AK Party deputy chairman responsible for local administrations, announced that the proposal will be submitted to Parliament in a month.
On a separate issue, Özhaseki said houses that were built after 2000 according to the current regulations are safe against the expected earthquake.
About the speculations on a change in the election system, it is also reported that President Erdoğan said yesterday any change is thought for now, at party's central executive committee meeting.
AK Party spokesperson Ömer Çelik confirmed on Wednesday that such a change was not on the party's agenda.
