Sabri Tekir, Deputy Chairman of the Felicity (Saadet) Party, evaluated the agenda at the weekly regular press conference held at the party's Headquarters, and gave information about the latest situation of Saadet Party Chairman Temel Karamollaoğlu, who was discharged from the hospital recently.
"The general health of our President is good and in good condition. Our President will rest at home for a while after the hospital. Later, I hope, he will be with us and will continue his work in the Saadet Party from where he left off. In this process, our President conveyed his thanks to all our citizens and volunteers, with and without parties, who shared their wishes of getting well soon and kept their prayers in full, through the press," Tekir said.
“NO DAY GOES THAT A NEW HIKE NEWS DOESN'T COME”
Stating that the main agenda item in Turkey is the economy, Tekir noted that the economic trend has had a negative impact on the lives of every citizen, "Unemployment, inflation, the cost of living, the ever-decreasing standard of living of people, of course, one after another inordinate and unpredictable price hikes. Not a day goes by without news of a new hike. We wake up with new hikes every new day. We get news of a new hike every midnight. These are exorbitant price hikes, which we do not understand whether they are meant to threaten or discipline," he added.
“THE RAISES ON SALARY FALL OFF THE MAP OTHER HIKES”
Emphasizing that the raises in civil servants and pensions were insufficient compared to other hikes, Tekir said, “In the past, they used to give with a spoon and take with a ladle. Now, the price raises for civil servants and pensioners have become illegible alongside the hikes for publicly supplied products such as fuel, natural gas, and electricity. The additional raise given to our civil servants is only 2,5 percent. Interestingly, they couldn't even make this small raise for this month's payments, maybe they didn't want to raise it. On the other hand, the increase in invoices is between 50 percent and 130 percent! It is in the first days of saying hello to 2022; as well as in the severe winter conditions of January.”
“2 TL TRT SHARE WAS REMOVED BUT HOW WILL THE CITIZENS TOLERATE INVOICES WITH HIKE”
Reminding the Turkish Radio Television Association (TRT) share removed from the electricity bills, Tekir stated that the amount removed was a low fee, "The government removed the 2 Turkish Liras (TL) TRT share from the electricity bills with a flourish of trumpets years later. It presented this with big big sentences as 'good news'. After the exorbitant price hikes that are hard to bear, we wonder how our civil servants, retirees, tradesmen and industrialists will endure the 130 percent hike in electricity bills, and how the government will try to explain it," he added.
“DESPITE TURKSTAT'S MAKE-UP NUMBERS, INFLATION IS AT THE HIGHEST OF 30 YEARS”
Reminding that the inflation of European countries and Turkey's inflation were compared in a program published in the pro-government A Haber, Tekir said, "Despite the make-up figures of Turkish Statistical Institute (TURKSTAT), inflation has been reached its peak in the last 30 years., the comments of these friends; They say, 'Inflation is increasing in the USA and Europe, there is'. However, the average inflation rate in European countries is only 4 percent. Here are the rates: Switzerland 1,5 percent, France 2,8 percent, Denmark 3,1 percent, Sweden 3,3 percent, Italy 3,8 percent, Greece 5,1, Ireland 5,1, Germany 5,3 percent, Netherlands 5,7 percent. The sum of these, that is, the sum of the inflation rates of all European countries, is only 35,7 percent. A pro-government journalist is showing his ignorance to equate it with the 36 percent inflation rate in Turkey, instead of taking the average rate of these. The government is also very happy with the confusion, which is interesting," he said.
Stating that the exchange rate rose again, Tekir reminded that the price hikes were not taken back when the dollar increased, “The fever of the currency does not decrease; these friends call it 'the game of external forces'. Against the dollar exceeding 18 TL Those who say it's a game of "foreign powers" celebrate by saying, ‘How did we do it, do you see?’ when the dollar decreases to 12-13 TL. They are waiting for applause. They ignore the issue of price hikes, which they did when the dollar was 18 TL, and which they never took back when it fell. They don't want to be seen or known. The government is really adept at presenting the slightest positive development as its own achievements. They show the same dexterity in blaming all the negative developments on someone else. Those operating the government's propaganda apparatus seem to have learned very well from World War II propaganda techniques. But it is useful for them to know that these techniques, which are not used in moderation, can backfire,” he added.
“TODAY, THERE IS NOTHING THAT HAD NOT ITS SHARE FROM EXORBITANT HIKES”
Reminding that the government made raids by accusing of hoarding, Tekir stated that he was wondering what the government would do about the exorbitant price hikes in other fields, not just hoarding, “I wonder what those who want to create the perception that they are struggling with the exorbitant price hikes in onions and potatoes by raiding the markets, will do about the increase in fuel and bills? Are they also considering raiding gas stations? Or will they point to the staff who read the meters as responsible for the exorbitant hikes in electricity bills? For example, who will be responsible for the increased rents? Landlords or real estate agents? In other words, there is no product left in the market whose price has not increased. Today, there is nothing that does not get its share from the exorbitant hikes,” he said.
“THE YOUTH CHOOSES THIS WAY DUE TO THE FEELING OF VALUELESSNESS”
Reminding two young people who came to the fore with their suicides last week, Tekir noted that the young people living in Turkey came to this situation as a result of their experiences, "Unfortunately, we were shaken as a nation by the death of two of our young people last week. Turkey was shaken. One of these two young people was worried about the future, hopelessness and worthlessness, and yes… I don't want to end it. Regardless what is the reason, the troubles he had in the dormitory, he had to stay, were only one of the reasons for his final decision. Another is just 16 years old. His father was expelled from the Decree-Law. He was a teacher's child. He couldn't handle what his father went through, the crime imposed on his father, and the social pressure surrounding it, and yes… It never ends. Two of our young people actually preferred an accusation against those who were left behind, a method of punishing them. Just their parents? Who else and who knows who will come next? Unfortunately, even though the reasons seem to be different, our young people prefer this path because of the feeling of 'worthlessness' that they experience,” he added.