Economic depression is continuing to increase with more and more people feeling the negative impacts of the deterioration, the leader of the main opposition Republican People’s Party (CHP) has said.
“Economic crisis, economic depression increasingly continues. Everyone has their own agenda, but the main agenda of the people is economy and kitchen expenses,” CHP leader Kemal Kilicdaroglu said in his weekly address to his parliamentary group on April 19.
On Thursday Kilicdaroglu declared his family shall sit in the dark for a week after power had been cut at his home as he refused to pay his bills in protest of steep hikes in subsidized energy prices.
A recent survey has revealed that the number of people, including those who vote for the ruling Justice and Development Party (AKP) and its main ally, Nationalist Movement Party (MHP), expressing their discomfort about soaring inflation and high living costs is increasing, Kilicdaroglu claimed.
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“The survey questions how the economic problems affect the psychology of the people. Some 48 percent said ‘very badly,’ while 39.6 percent said ‘badly.’ That shows that 87 percent of the people are badly affected by the economic conditions,” Kilicdaroglu stated.
More people say their purchasing power has weakened when compared to the previous months, Kilicdaroglu suggested, criticizing the government for not increasing the bi-annually given bonus to pensioners. “The hunger limit is announced as 4,928 Turkish Liras by the Turk-İş Trade Union. The minimum wage is only 4,253 liras. The bonus given to the pensioners is below this limit as well. How can it be?” he asked.
The opposition banded together under the banner of “the Nation Alliance” is meeting on 24 April to discuss a common economic agenda, which will presumably start with a 90 day action plan. It may also entail substantial increases in welfare spending, release of political prisoners and swift appointment to top civil service posts to steer the economy in the right direction.
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