This text we are presenting, as can be observed when read, is different from a classic party program.

In this program, which wants the justice to embrace every citizen, poverty to become extinct, prosecution of official and professional misconduct, for everybody to receive their dues, an  increase in the number of citizens who believe in cooperation with government, national  peace, respect for human rights and freedom of thought and for a secular Turkey to be  renowned for her scientific progress and art, is a tool for the SHP founders to introduce  themselves, convey their hopes and thoughts of what they want to do for the country, and how they will accomplish it.

The program, in this way, is an explanation of SHP's ideological stance, opinions and preferences to the world.

Without doubt, this program in the future is going to be discussed and improved by SHP members who are going to fill in the party posts. The text we are presenting should be seen in the light of an introduction to the process of development efforts of the party. With the founding of our party, platforms, which are specified in our Party Regulations, will create and publicize practical policies of our party.

We believe in Turkey

Citizens united in a shared ideal, who came from diverse religious and linguistic backgrounds founded the Republic of Turkey.

But due to some internal and external incitements, our young Republic has, from time to time, implemented practices that were not incompatible with the founding ideals. These incitements have grown to a stage that they had begun to threaten the national security and stability and our country had to face the danger of religious extremism. At a difficult time like this, our Turkish and Kurdish citizens were not affected by the incitements and defended the national security and stability. In a comparable way, our religious citizens showed the same sensitivity and protected our Republic's secular qualities.

To never live through a similar period and to maintain a lasting peace depends on the strengthening of our democracy and economy.

We know that all our citizens want and demand national security and the development of the secular and democratic principles of our Republic.

On the other hand, our country is going through a serious economic crisis, which severely affects all levels of the society. A majority of our nation has been pushed towards poverty, disparity in income distribution has become more striking and unemployment has increased. In reality, this economic and national crisis shows the government and the political establishment's inability to bear Turkey's progress.

We do not agree with those who exhibit pessimistic attitudes and complaints. Turkey is a great country. This nation will succeed in overcoming this crisis, like all other crises that she overcame, with unity and a new political understanding.

We believe in Turkey's strength. When clear and correct objectives are shown and she is governed properly, Turkey has the strength to overcome her problems and achieve her objectives.

Turkey has accumulated all the energy that a nation saves just before a great leap forward and an act of breaking of the shackles that hold her back.

It is not the destiny of Turkey to live and be governed in such a way. The current political structure has to change and it will change.

To crush this vicious circle that seems like never ending, is the duty of the political organizations. The creation and shaping of the political structure is the duty of the politicians.

Social Democrat Peoples Party believes in the power inherent in Turkey to change and transform and SHP is a political party that has the baldness to desire and the expertise to govern and transform Turkey towards the light of science and knowledge.

We are going to achieve this objective step by step and we will transform our greatest inheritance, the Republic of Turkey, in to one of the leading nations of the world by the centennial anniversary of the Republic, 2023.

Our Historical Roots

SHP is a party that possesses the maturity to proudly acknowledge and utilize the millennial history and wisdom of this land.

SHP considers itself as the inheritor and the successor of the historical and political authority that saved Turkey from imperialist dominance, power of Caliphate and the Sultan; founded a modern and honorable nation out of many peoples with different religious, linguistic and ethnic backgrounds. SHP accepts as its primary duty to protect and develop the achievements of the Republican Reforms that had objective to take our nation to the level of developed nations.

SHP is the conscious inheritor of all the historical and cultural legacy of the civilizations that prospered in the land of Turkey.

SHP believes that the survival and the blossoming of all the local cultures within the national boundaries will enrich our national culture and will“` help in its development. It will also enrich the universal culture.

The historical basis of SHP is the Independence War that was fought under the leadership of Mustafa Kemal and his Republican Reforms and principles. We see our political basis as the "left's" universal and national values and the greatest revolutionary that this land raised, Mustafa Kemal.

With this aim in mind, we aspire to be an honorable member of a Universal Social Democratic movement, which seeks to become a guiding light to the world nations in equality, freedom, justice and labor.

How will we do Politics?

Turkey, after the establishment of our Republic, had succeeded in carrying out many leaps towards modernity under the leadership of Atatürk and now, after eighty years, is facing a need for an era of even greater transformation and changes.

There is a need for significant changes to satisfy our citizens' desire for better lives. But the current political system is not capable of answering to the needs of the people unless the system itself experiences considerable changes. This is the greatest contradiction that Turkey is currently facing.

Our politicians, instead of finding lasting solutions to the country's problems, are instead trying to voice anger and reaction or change the agenda in order to deal more with daily problems.

Turkey, even with all her current problems, is going through maybe the most sterile period of her political history. At a time when there is the greatest need, a single "Project for the future" has not been publicized.

SHP, by creating such a project, is going to change the current practice of politics in Turkey and is going to guide Turkey to her destiny.

It is essential to change the Political Parties Law, which prevents the creation of a new political system. But SHP Party Regulations were prepared with an ideal to provide the necessary environment for a new kind of politics, even before the alteration of the Law.

SHP Party Regulations; by eliminating the Party President's domination, by preventing the formation of a party oligarchy, by giving the education of party members a primary importance is aiming to provide Turkey with a new understanding in politics.  The Party is going to be governed exclusively by the decisions of the party organization. With the Party Regulations, first time in Turkey, a party is moving towards direct democracy instead of representative democracy. We require the entire party membership to be affiliated with non-governmental organizations and we see this as our contribution to organized movements. We see such a structural change as the primary guarantor of Turkey's reform project.

SHP's Horizon

We can list a SHP government's objectives as such:

· Free person
· Organized society
· Democratic Government, which believes in Justice
· Sustainable growth
· National sharing of benefits
· National Peace

For SHP, all these objectives are equally important and their implementation is imperative. In Turkey, opinions are constantly put forward that until the state is developed, there could be no income equality, full democracy could be postponed, and we can ignore the protection of our cultural and environmental treasures. SHP members can never accept such opinions. Contrary to some people's opinions, in order to develop, it is essential to create freedom, democracy and income equality. 

SHP is going to eliminate all barriers to the organization of the society. Needed reforms for labor organization to raise them to EU standards, are going to be implemented. In this context, SHP will create a suitable environment for the elimination of the problems preventing public workers being organized, rural development of organizational structures and creation of women's and youth associations.

These are the reasons why we see SHP's horizon as the guarantor of the future of our country's national peace and security.

We are for Equality and Freedom

We believe in human beings being born equal and with no privileges. We accept the principle that human rights are acquired before a person has been born. Right to live comes as first of these rights. Being a member of a society entitles a person right to work, right to feed oneself and acquire shelter, right to form a family, right to freedom of thought, right to practice ones beliefs, right to organize, right to better oneself and right to be informed of all the political, economic and cultural activities, and they can not be limited.

It is our primary aim to eliminate all of the financial, social, cultural and political barriers that might cause inequality between people.

We are against discrimination due to ethnic, religious, gender, cultural and related differences. We stand fast against discrimination against women.

We do not accept any physical or emotional actions from anyone, for whatever reason, that denigrate a person. We refuse to accept any boundaries or censorship.

People have freedom of belief. We accept that citizens have the right to believe or not to believe or even to remain neutral. We respect all three viewpoints.

The boundaries of ones beliefs are determined by others' beliefs and societies well being. We believe that one has the right to practice ones beliefs, not through being a member of a group but through his or her own personal practices.

Government cannot have a belief and cannot represent any beliefs. When it comes to what citizens believe in, the government is impartial.  The government's duty is to secure its citizens' religious freedoms.

SHP, in the long-term, aims to eliminate the government organizing the religious practices in the country, but in the short-term it wants this organizing practice to encompass all religions. It also wants the attendance to religious classes at school to be voluntary.

Persons are free to think and have the right to express their beliefs. The use of this right does not constitute a threat to the secular and universal balance of the society or national security.

Persons cannot be discriminated for their gender, class, belief, thoughts or their ethnic identity, and they cannot be forced to disclose their ethnicity, religion or beliefs.

It is the personal preference of a person to disclose or explain ones own ethnic background. Person is free to use his or her own language, to name his or her child, to learn, develop and establish organizations for his or her mother tongue and culture. Ones ethnicity cannot be reason for superiority or reason for denigration of a person.

Republic of Turkey does not depend on one race. Citizens from different ethnic, religious and linguistic backgrounds founded our Republic. The Governments official language is "Turkish".  Inviolability of the nation, unity of the country cannot be questioned.

Except the arrangements due to principles of signed international agreements, we see all ethnic and religious differences within our nation, not as minorities but as our historical heritage, our power and wealth. We believe that in established and working democracies, the concept of minorities, have no place.

With this in mind and by solving the ethnic and religious problems, SHP is going to strengthen national security and secular democracy within the Republic. SHP is going to concentrate on especially the Kurdish problem, which is the primary barrier against democratization and respect for human beings.

We are going to Restructure the State

The structure of the state  of the Republic of Turkey cannot carry the society anymore. Without changes to our executive, economic and national organization, we cannot expect Turkey to perform the necessary leaps forward.  Therefore a new constitution, which characteristics are indicated below, has to be adopted. 

The state has to be restructured with a modern outlook. This new structure of the State is going to be founded on the concepts of political institutions, public, citizen and person.

State cannot be viewed in abstract or as a sacred body above the people.

State is the highest organized unit of the society. But state does not only consist of political institutions but also of private citizens. Legislation, judicial power and governance and those political bodies related to them are political institutions and all private organizations are civil institutions.

SHP thinks that the country's past and present state and democratic problems are all based on the total dominance of governance over state and the total disregard of the principle of separation of powers.

The dominance of those who hold the power of government controls the state and creates an environment for the exploitation of country by the leading members of the society. In an environment like this, it is rather difficult for the state to fulfill its responsibilities.

The reasons behind the moral degeneration that we are witnessing, groups who exploit their positions in government, malpractice and injustices, unregistered production and revenues must be sought in the current state structure. In such an environment, the people's trust to the state is dwindling. Whereas, the state has to trust the people, the people have to trust their state.

It is very important for us in the process of restructuring of the Turkish State, to emphasize the significance of sharing of state power, transparency, justice and law, productivity and accountability.

Sharing of State powers should be between civil and political institutions and the people. The people and civil institutions should not be made to obey the political institutions' commands.

Citizens have a dual influence as members of the electorate who choose and validate political bodies and through public organizations, influence the decisions and the practice of the political bodies. Citizens with this dual role are both the foundation and a partner of the State. In local and central government, the public sector is going to cooperate with the people  in every possible activity. This cooperation will include the decision-making, practice and inspection areas. Citizens being a partner in the management process will increase the productivity of the services and will cause better inspection of activities. State, where the citizens share in the management of the resources will be a more trustworthy state.

SHP supports an active, practical and democrat state structure. For SHP's objectives to be implemented, a strong state is compulsory.

According to SHP, the strength of the state is not determined by how many factories or banks it owns or how large a share public expenditure constitutes of the GNP,

A strong State is a body, which implements and completes its plans with the highest productivity and efficiency and where its civil institutions inspect its political institutions.

Our main principle will be to create supremacy of law and independence of the justice system. With an increase in the budget, a new structuring of an educational program will be carried out for the justice to be implemented in a timely fashion and without any discrimination due to ethnicity, religion or language. Legislative power will be limited to the Parliament and the chairmanship. Privileges granted to parliamentary deputies will be ended. The prosecution of malpractices and injustices, without being subject to statue of limitation, will be put into a regular framework and without delay.

Another separation of powers restructuring will be between local and central executive bodies.

The duties of the central executive bodies are the implementation and maintenance of national security, national development, social justice, and equality in education and health services.
To transform our nation into a knowledgeable society cannot be accomplished at the local level. Central institutions have to practice their strategic planning authority. The protection and maintenance of our mutual values and interests have to be the duty of the Central state organizations. The establishment of the necessary human and physical groundwork and the equal distribution of national resources among the regions in order to balance income and development disparities will be the duty of the central institutions.

All services apart from these, serve as local needs and will be performed by local governmental institutions. But SHP believes that the current structure and practices of local governments need a complete overhaul in order to create more locally oriented regional institutions.

Delegation of some central authority to the local government will not reduce the importance and power of the central government. On the contrary, the performance of a Central government, which transfers some of its heavy burden, will be more successful and effective.

We support the Worker

SHP is a democratic and labor oriented mainstream party.  The national support base of SHP consists of all workers, whatever their status, the unemployed, urban and rural producers and retirees. SHP primary political choices are for these groups. But it also supports every productive and labor generating social group that contributes to the national economy.

SHP's politics are based on these social groups. It represents the ignored, oppressed and destitute sections of the society.

For SHP, "Human Rights" does not represent only a political connotation. SHP views income disparity as a threat to national peace and a violation of human rights.

We Support Production, Expansion and Equal Distribution of Wealth

Turkey is going to develop at the maximum sustainable rate. This is mandatory not only for national welfare or in order to generate economic surplus but also for the peace in the nation and the region.

Turkey will not expand by damaging its universal values and environment, which has value for her own people and for the entire humanity, but by developing them.

For SHP, development and social justice go hand in hand. Economic development over the destruction of social structure cannot be accepted.

At the root of our economic policy lie, inclusion of equality issues in the considerations for economic development objectives, to create just solutions for surviving the side effects of economic expansion, to create larger international markets for local produce, to protect the consumers, to prevent to total exploitation of local natural resources, to think of today while planning for future.

SHP is on the side of the worker. It chooses to side with this section of the society in every economic decision. SHP accepts market economy and capital ownership in accordance with the principles of Socialist International. The most important issue for SHP is the expansion of employment and production and equality of income distribution. Market economy will be in the service of the society through this and similar ways.

SHP supports state intervention in the economy under certain circumstances. Reasons for market interventions are the strategic interests of the Country such as; to stop monopolization and to balance regional and class distribution of income. 

The role of the state is to establish the necessary technical and social basis for development, to improve the regional and class distribution of income and to maintain social stability. By following the most modern practices and technological innovations in the world, we believe that the state, according to the needs and interests of Turkey, has the duty to enter sectors that the private investors are not willing to enter. Our Borax and Trona mineral wealth, which have become a great source of pride for the nation, will be exploited with these issues in mind.

Privatizations are not an objective for SHP.  For SHP, privatization is a means for increasing productivity and profit in public sector and generation of added value. Economic rationalization, strategic and social evaluations will have an important part in forming privatization policies. SHP prefers to implement the privatization program in such a way that ownership distribution is spread over the social classes, and the protection of the rights of the workers are guaranteed.

SHP will abandon the sector and capital based plans, which have been shown to be inoperable, and implement a national strategic planning program. A supreme consultative committee formed by the representatives of employee and employers organizations, tradesmen and artists institutions, farming lobbies, professional bodies and environmental organizations with governmental representatives will direct the national strategic plan. In this new planning process, regional and physical planning will take place. This practice will not only ensure that resources are used more productively, projects are more successful or more representative government but also ensure that planning and development plans of the cities and districts are set at a higher environmental standard.

SHP will develop farming and rural centers with new governmental, economic, social and physical institutions. In this phase, restructured cooperatives and their executive councils will be our greatest helpers. Increasing the production of the farming sector, based on high quality and competitive prices, transformation of farmers into producers and restructuring of the rural settlements are our primary intention.  Our farmers will be supported, and this support will not be left to the already subsidized  "world prices" mentality. SHP will encourage and support the private sector entering the farming sector. Land reform will be implemented under market principles. But land reform for us is not a tool for eliminating feudality or in order to establish productive institutions but in order to establish organized, strong, competitive and land-owning institutions. In this context, SHP considers land reform as a policy tool for a restructuring of the farming institutions besides aiming at equal land distribution.  Land reforms is especially intended to be applicable to irrigation projects and for the formation of larger and more competitive farming entities.

Ziraat Bank will be organized as an independent institution and it will have a primary role for the producers and cooperatives, vegetal production, stockbreeding and fishing investments of the private sector.

SHP will accelerate the expansion of the industrial sector. We see our extensive knowledge of the industrial sector and the increasing number of industrialists as a guarantor of our program. We cannot be satisfied only with those sectors we are relatively successful at. We have to enter sectors, where we can create international brands, increase our market potential and offer new creations. That's why entrepreneurs, new sectors and new technologies will be supported. In order to expand, we cannot be satisfied with only our resources. New policies, which will give incentives to foreign capital and investments, will be developed.

Energy, which is the most important input in the production process, is constantly getting more expensive in our Country. We are absolutely determined to utilize our local resources with the highest possible efficiency, develop our renewable energy resources and for energy imports, to diversify our energy imports and suppliers.

Turkey's transportation network will be rearranged and sea-lanes and railways will be given absolute priority. Fast-trains will make the people relive the excitement of the 1930's when the railways were very popular.

The basis of expansion, education and the new economic restructuring will be small and medium scale enterprises. Halk Bank will become an independent institution and will be involved in the financing of small and medium enterprises, tradesmen and artists.

SHP believes that registration of unregistered or underground economy and the elimination of related problems are an absolute necessity. It views this as the first and the most important step in order to realize its desire to create just taxing and easing of the tax burden. 

High inflation, which is one of the most important reasons of income disparity, has become rooted in our economy for the past 25 years. In order to alleviate the great economic burden that inflation has brought on the public and private sectors, new institutional structures will be founded.

SHP will examine the success of the Turkish economy, not just by the level of financial markets or stocks, but by production levels, inflation rate, workers' wages, civil servants' wages, price indexes of farmers, the level of activities of small and medium scale enterprises and income distribution.

As SHP, our principle commitment is that income will be equally distributed among all classes and regions.

SHP's objective is to constantly increase the share of the constituents get from the welfare of the society.

We are going to overcome Poverty

It is a principle argument in SHP's commitment to equal distribution of income, that the citizens' income rise above the poverty level. Poverty level presents in our society show how "social" the state has to be and how much expenditure it has to incur in order to beat poverty. State expenditure for education, health and social welfare, organization for employment and the state's intervention into the real and financial markets will depend on the poverty level of its citizens. SHP definitely does not share the opinion that state resources would not be sufficient for such an undertaking. If the state's resources are not sufficient to tackle this problem, it means that either the funds invested in this task are not sufficient or are not used efficiently.

SHP, in the context of its program to overcome poverty, plans to go further than the current programs and prepare a more inclusive social welfare budget. In addition to public funds transferred, the budget will also include extra support and will be used as a tool by SHP in order to implement its policies for overcoming poverty.

SHP views projects, which aim to distribute the cities' income among the citizens who live in the city suburbs and face all the society's ills everyday of their lives, as the only true solution.

For SHP, the living standards of our farmers and villagers, who have become poverty stricken, are very important. That's why it sees that land reform alone is not the solution. It understands that reforms in input use, market access and use of technology are essential. This method is also going to be used for projects which aim to take the farmers who left their farms in the extraordinary days of 1990's, to live under the poverty level in cities, back to their villages.

Organization of  women, who live in city suburbs and rural centers, into productive members of the society, will be supported. 

SHP views the social security institutions as the best and the most essential tools of a social state. SHP believes that the state has to establish and implement the necessary financial, economic and executive policies, institutions and tools as an essential step to maintain and develop the social welfare of the people.

Full Employment is our unquestionable Objective

For SHP, it is one of the basic human rights for one to be employed. That's why it is one of the most important objectives of SHP for every eligible and persistent person to be employed. Full employment is SHP's main promise.

In SHP government, unemployment problem will be solved by "real employment". To register the unemployed as working at a state institution and as getting wages is not the real solution. The real solution is to make every person a productive unit working in the farming, services or the industrial sector.

The primary responsibility of the state is to provide every citizen a suitable job depending on their ability, education and preferences and to provide them with security when they are incapable to work.

We are going to bring Equality in Education and Health

"Information revolution" in the world has brought about a reshaping of the society. More knowledge, technology and different perspectives are needed.

A free person, who utilizes new knowledge and scientific thought, respects the principles of the Republic, is secular, aware of his or her rights and obligations, productive, possesses modern skills, believes in democracy and with high moral values is the key to social development.

SHP believes that the primary condition for equal opportunity in the society is to invest in people. This investment cannot be postponed or remain at a low level.

Our citizens will receive complete education and health services. These are also the basis of our Democratic principles.

An environment, where every person has the equal opportunity to better his or her talents, will definitely be created. In this context, SHP commits itself to increase compulsory education to 12 years and to make it free of charge. The teachers' education will be restructured in order to educate quality teachers, the educational organization will be developed, the Higher Education Council's (YÖK) activities, which has been a subject of dispute since the day it was established, will be restructured, independence of universities will be guaranteed and the quality of professional and technical education will be increased to EU standards.

The health service problems arise in Turkey for those who do not have money and in preventative medical services. SHP aims to combine both services and offer the best possible assistance for the sections of the society that need it the most.

We will maintain our National Values

SHP claims the strengthening of love, honesty, morality and support as one of its primary objectives. Turkey, which seems to have abandoned these values for a long time, can only start rising after it strengthens them.

Family unity, which is our culture's most basic and influential part, has been under pressure from cultural and psychological factors due to urban migration. SHP, as a result of its respect and trust for the family unity, considers it as the basis of the movement. SHP believes that love, morality, culture and trust can primarily be taught within the family.

Woman is the foundation stone of the society. For the women to practice their rights the society has to become more mature and gender equality has to be established. SHP sees this as both, a democratic and human rights undertaking.

SHP aims to establish a network of youth organizations, where they can practice activities, which are of an interest to them. Within this organized structure, the Turkish youth will be able to develop their talents and sense of responsibility and to protect their rights and interests.

SHP will create an environment, where women and the youth can directly join in the political process.

SHP, due to its social democratic understanding, believes that some sections of the society need protection, strengthening and encouragement. SHP believes that children, elderly and handicapped citizens have to be certain privileges in order to equally enjoy the benefits of state and the society.

Our citizens, who reside in foreign countries, are one of our main allies in Turkey's attempts at joining the EU and in our efforts for new economic and cultural improvements.

SHP will resolve these people's concerns about being alone and will support them in becoming citizens of the country where they reside in, without losing their identity. SHP sees this as an important opportunity to improve the bilateral relations between the parent countries.

SHP believes that to carry the knowledge and experiences of our citizens living overseas back to Turkey is very important and beneficial.

SHP will implement an active communication and information program with EU institutions and our sister parties, in order to alleviate the problems and raise the living standards of our citizens living over there.

Our Culture and Art Policies

SHP believes that culture and art will flourish in a free environment, where there is no pressure or prohibitions. The country's development cannot be considered independently from its cultural development.

There could be no political or arbitrary bans, censorship or inspections of art or culture. The only institution with the authority is the independent justice system.

SHP's cultural policy is not commanding or dictating. It is going to be supportive to scientific development and fine arts.

SHP aims to create a cultural society, not a society with only a few selected artists.

We are aware of our Environmental Responsibilities

For SHP, the environment is one of the most sensitive issues of its program. SHP does not consider the environment as a technical issue, but sees it in a broader context. SHP perceives the environmental destruction as a problem confronting civilization and believes that this planet of ours belong not only to the humanity but also to all life.

SHP is against any activity that damages human life, ecologic structure or the environment. It accepts as its duty to protect not only our country's but also the world's physical, biologic, sociologic and cultural heritage. It does not discriminate between the destruction of the rain forests, erosion of our farmlands and pollution of our seas.

For SHP, non-governmental organizations are vital in finding solutions to environmental problems.

Our Perspective on Globalization

SHP watches with concern income disparity and loss of identity, that the new world order has brought. Globalization is a fact we cannot ignore. Main problem is that while knowledge, science and especially capital has been globalized, international labor mobility and organization remains constricted to regions. Globalization has widened income disparity between and within countries. In addition, globalization has transferred some of the authority of the nation-state to global institutions. Today, nations willingly transfer some of their rights to these institutions. But the possibility in the future that these institutions might extract states' authority without any willingness on the states part, should not be forgotten.

SHP believes in international system and solidarity. Turkey, compared to today, will become more integrated to the world in the future. She will become a more respected and active member of the international society. But the control and formation of Turkey's future only by global economic forces and its institutions cannot be accepted.  Injustices created by the workings of local markets can deepen by global forces.  Arguments and contradictions formed between large states can be utilized in our country's favor.  We can use these in order to strengthen our independence, security and the regional peace.

SHP's national independence viewpoint does not require Turkey to be insolated against globalization but to transform it into a force of improvement for national interests. SHP regards independence in the context of equal sharing of rights and responsibilities and the principle of mutual assistance.

Our Foreign Policy Viewpoint

Turkey has a wide variety of security, economic, political and cultural interests in a very large geographic region. We are determined to realize these interests at the highest possible level.

The region where our country is located, while generating many threats and risks for our national security, is providing us with many opportunities for peace, stability and welfare in the region.

If we add Middle East to this region, this wide Eurasian region is our lifeblood and strength. We are not afraid of this region at the cross-section of global interests. Quite the opposite, we see this as an opportunity to promote our and the region's rights and interests.

Our aim is to eliminate war, natural disasters and threats in our region, with the help of our neighbors. The attainment of our aims will create, maybe for the first time in the region, peace, stability and welfare. SHP, in this context, adds "Peace in the region" principle to the "Peace at home, Peace in the world" maxim of Atatürk.

SHP believes that a strong Turkish army will play an effective role in improving regional and world peace, and reduce the number of regional and broader disputes.

We want our army to be powerful and defensively organized in order to protect our country's independence, national boundaries and security.

We want to reorganize the army, so that it is capable of facing new threats that have become apparent after the end of the cold war and also to increase the budget of the army to the highest possible level.

In the context of Turkey's wide-ranging interests, Central Asia and our near neighborhood, have a very special place.

Our relations with the Central Asian Turkic Republics, when seen from this perspective, are very important. We have a common historical bonds and blood relations with these countries.

These bonds will be strengthened with the development of our cultural relations. While doing that, State-to-State relations will be supported by people to people relations. We will also support the political and economic independence of these countries while cultivating a better environment for relations between themselves.

Our relations with the Central Asian Turkic Republics are not an alternative to our other relations with international bodies or regions. They complement to each other.

Caucasus, Middle East and Balkans are regions of primary importance for Turkey's security. We are determined to establish lasting stability and peace in these regions and will practice the principles of diplomacy in order to achieve our aims.

SHP views Middle East not as a region with common historical and past relations. It sees our relations with this region in the light of current and future mutual benefit. The same is true for relations with Israel, which is comparably new inclusion in the region.

SHP desires the continuation of good political and economic relations with regional countries. But this desire does not assure Turkey's approval for every action these countries take. Turkey is a stabilizing influence in Eurasia, and the continuation of good relations with Turkey is to the benefit of every regional country.

We share the Aegean Sea and the Trakya region with Greece, in accordance with the Lozan Peace Treaty. Good relations with this country was the policy of Atatürk right after the Independence War and there is no reason to alter this strategy. But this choice depends on the mutual understanding and cooperation of both countries, even more than our other bilateral relations.

Our relations with Greece should stand on more than personal relations. It should be based on the principles of reality and trust. The quality of our relations is not based on other countries or international institutions but on our mutual interests.

We see a partnership of two countries as the solution to the Cyprus problem. We believe that only the two communities and states living on the island, without any outside interference, can find the lasting solution. Outside interference can only create an environment where one side feels it can dictate to the other and this will in turn cause considerable changes in the status quo on the island.

Our Opinion of EU

SHP sees the EU not as a part of the globalization movement but as a "shield" that can protect Turkey against the negative side effects of the globalization.

Turkey with its "national independence war and the Republic" and "Democracy and multi-party system" has twice before achieved great national advancements. SHP believes that by being a member of the European Union, Turkey will advance once more and catch up with the developed nations.

Turkey, with no supplication and with a sense of her own power, will implement the Copenhagen Criteria and will enter the EU without giving away anything from her identity. This will be Turkey's race with itself. SHP believes that Turkey will perform beyond any expectations and will grasp the future. 

Turkey's objective should be to reach a very high level of welfare. When the time comes, EU herself will request Turkey to join it, because of the strength Turkey will bring to EU.

A difficult harmonization and negotiation process is in front of us. This process should not be a struggle against the EU but a phase of negotiation between EU and Turkey for Turkey's national and international interests.

SHP believes that Turkey has to have a stable democracy, a strong economy and a powerful defense, all at the same time. We see these as the primary objectives of Turkey. We, as social democrats, believe that we can implement our other promises, which are  made in this program, much easier in such an environment.

Our history and geography are calling us to implement our program and to realize Turkey's destiny. In the past centuries, we were late to hear the call to modernity.

This time we will listen.

This time we will not be late.