President Erdoğan unveils AK Party’s election manifesto

President and the ruling Justice and Development (AK) Party Chairman Recep Tayyip Erdoğan on Thursday announced his party's manifesto ahead of the upcoming local elections on March 31.

The election manifesto, titled "Work for the people, work from the heart" was unveiled at the Ankara Sports Hall in the capital Ankara.

AK Party's mayoral election manifesto will be shaped within the frame of city plans, infrastructure and transportation, urban transformation, unique cities, smart cities, eco-friendly cities, social municipality, horizontal urbanization, administration with public, saving and transparency, and cities generating value.

Turkish president said the ruling party will challenge the unplanned urbanization with short, medium and long-term strategies.

"We will have the simplicity of Seljuk architecture, the elegance of Ottoman architecture and today's modern lines prevail," Erdoğan said.

"We will prepare development models unique to geography, climate, history and humanitarian texture of cities," he added.

According to the manifesto, the projects without any contribution to the cultural heritage and the aesthetics or damaging silhouette of unique cities will not be allowed.

Historical buildings and places will be rendered indispensable parts of daily life. An architecture style meeting to the needs of today and tomorrow, inspired from the past, and away from replication will be dominant.

The cities will be equipped with areas appealing to women, children, athletes, as well young, elder and disabled citizens, Erdoğan said.

The president also vowed to transform cities into places growing with cultural and economic productivity of people.

Turkey has rolled the sleeves for the local elections approaching.

Thirteen political parties will compete in the country's local polls held every five years.

This year, the citizens will go the ballot box to elect mayors of 1,398 municipalities across the country.

Among them are 30 municipalities in 81 provinces and 921 district municipalities.

Voters will also elect municipal council members in cities and other local leaders.