Banks' profits rose 324% in February. In other words, the system works entirely for the capital owners. If an institution's profits have suddenly increased by 324 percent, shouldn't those who run this country or those who think they govern, explain a reasonable explanation for this? In order to explain that the system works to the capital owners, it may not be enough to remind the February profits of the banks.
With the fluctuation in the markets since November last year, there has been a great increase not only in the prices of the products we import but also in the prices of the products we produce. This increase was generally explained by the fluctuation in foreign exchange. Because the increase in input costs was reflected in the prices with excess.
As a result, according to the official figures of the state, annual inflation was announced as 62 percent, while the "Birlesik Kamu-Is" union announced the inflation figure that the public felt and experienced as 118.8 percent, and the GENAR Research Group as 142 percent.
As a result, increasing inflation benefits the banks, increasing their profits, while the middle layer, which forms the backbone of the society, is gradually disappearing due to inflation, and the society is made up of the extremely rich and the poor.
In such a system, it is not possible to ensure social peace and to talk about justice in income distribution. Because, according to the news reflected in the media, it is stated that the credit card and consumer loan debts of the citizens to banks exceed 1 trillion, and the number of executive files increased by 32.2 percent.
In short, the economic crisis hits all sectors except banks. Will it be possible to get rid of this troublesome situation in a short time? I wholeheartedly want to say 'yes' to this question, but the news is that Turkey's narrow and fixed incomes will hurt for another year.
Meanwhile, Consumer Organizations President Fuat Engin, in his statement, states that worse days await consumers. Despite all this, executives talk about growth at every opportunity and claim that we broke a record in this regard. Well, the question may come to mind, what kind of growth can we talk about while a large part of the society is getting poorer, in other words, the economic policies being implemented destroy the middle pillar? The answer to this question was recently described as "impoverishing growth".
The question of "how to grow while getting poorer" may immediately come to mind. It is natural to come. However, as in every field, our country has been turned into a ball of contradictions. By the way, while the deposit interest is 17 percent officially, the loan interest is 27 percent. Let me just point out that the interest the banks get from the loans is not just the 27 percent interest in question. When they examine the monthly incoming statements of the credit cards that everyone uses to see the truth in this matter, they will see that money is received under a number of different names.
In other words, such a system has been created that in any case, the hard and fixed income sufferers, and the banks increase their profits. In the meantime, the exchange rate protection system was introduced to prevent the increase in the exchange rate. When we say we will protect the rate, it is mentioned that the cost of keeping our people in TL instead of foreign currency and gold, which is put into practice to ensure this, may become a separate problem.
In short, no matter what kind of practice is adopted, it always happens to poor people with low and fixed incomes. In this respect, our country needs a fair economic system, not words. If one asks what kind of a system this is, it will suffice to remember the practice that Erbakan Hodja talked about over the years and exhibited during his 11-month rule.