Abdulkadir Özkan: "I wish what was written was true"

Abdulkadir Özkan: "I wish what was written was true"
Date: 6.4.2022 15:00

Milli Gazete columnist Abdulkadir Özkan writes on Turkey's economy. Here is the full article.

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If you look at the pro-media, the country is economically rosy. I wish that was the case, we could read and write them too... Because we live in this country and we benefit from those beauties. As I was completing the sentence, my description of "We used to experience those beauties too" caught my mind. If the country is free from problems, the standard of living has increased, and the income distribution has been balanced, why does not much fall into the share of the majority except the happy minority of the society? Crowds form a queue in front of municipalities and social aid organizations.
 
I would like to content myself with drawing attention to three issues that came to the fore in yesterday's media. According to the figures announced by TURKSTAT, inflation was 6 percent monthly and 61 percent annually. According to the figures of a research institution other than TURKSTAT, annual inflation was 142 percent.
 
Again, according to TURKSTAT data, Turkey is self-sufficient in agricultural production by 97 percent. While it was one of the 7 self-sufficient countries in agricultural production years ago, it is announced through the official channel that we are now 97 percent sufficient.
 
In short, being 97 percent sufficient is also very important. However, it is not possible to understand how Turkey is self-sufficient at 97 percent in agricultural production, when there is nothing left that we do not import among agricultural products. Moreover, the producers state that they cannot raise money for their troubles, seeds, fertilizers and fuel, and for this they cannot plant as much as necessary. This is not enough either. It is also frequently reported in the media that the property of farmers who cannot pay the loans they receive from banks is foreclosed.
 
In short, are the farmers lying when they say that they cannot plant enough due to the increase in inputs? Besides, doesn't it reflect the truth that they say that they can't earn enough from their production, that they need to be supported, that they say at meetings and marches, in order to announce their problems to the authorities?
 
In the meantime, almost every month, news about breaking records in exports appear in newspapers and television. However, for some reason, the import dimension of the job is ignored for some reason. Because they are only in charge of showing the good, does the problem go away when the media doesn't show the truth? For example, is the foreign trade deficit that occurs every month closing? If there is no such thing, is it possible to be dissatisfied with this, if only we had a foreign trade surplus, let alone the foreign trade deficit?
 
However, while it is a fact that our exports have increased compared to the previous month, it is another fact that imports have increased. At this point, it is useful to briefly quote the statement made by an authorized person:
 
“Turkey's exports reached 22 billion 708 million dollars in March with an increase of 19.8 percent. Imports, on the other hand, reached 30 billion 948 million dollars with an increase of 31 percent. The increase in the energy bill widens the foreign trade deficit.”
 
Let me point out right away that, of course, the increase in exports is important. However, as long as the foreign trade deficit continues, it is useless to praise the economy, and the economic problems of the citizens do not end. For this reason, there is no point in presenting investments that put the image forward as a great success, leaving aside the investments that increase production.
 
In short, official institutions should stop presenting economic figures in disguise. Because our people are not concerned with what is said, but with the facts that are experienced.

YEREL HABERLER

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