Big, cumbersome, and virtual!

We are the world's 16th largest economy. How nice. However, in per capita average income, we are 85th in the world rankings. This shows just how cumbersome and inefficient an economy it isshows. Furthermore, if wetake into account the severe deterioration in income distribution, wecan say that a large segment of societyis among the world's poor.We can say.

The world's16ththI t has become a large economy where our national income (GDP) is 1 trillion 358 billion dollars in 2024, and our per capita average income is 15 thousand 325 dollars, and 17 thousand 748 dollars in 2025; how realistic is this? Or is this size or wealth virtual?

There is no one left in Turkey who trusts the inflation measured by TÜİK. The Central Bank and the economic management have lost credibility.The Central Bank and the economic mthe administration'shot money to attract, it is also clear that it is suppressing the exchange rate,andthe link between the exchange rate and inflationhas been broken. It is also evident that inflation does not reflect thereality, and that theIn an economy where the exchange rate is suppressedand its relationship with inflation is severed, theannounced national income accounts driftaway from reality,like a soapbubble.and a bubbleforms.

In an article titled “The per capita national income riddle” published on 12 Punto on March 9, 2025, I challenged theannounced national income (GDP) and per capita income figures. Let us quote a short summaryfrom that article:

“ TEven if we accept the TÜIK inflation as accurate, if the exchange rate had not been suppressed, our national income would not be 1 trillion 358 billion dollars, but around 1 trillion dollars, and our per capita national income would not be 15 thousand 500 dollars, but 12 thousand 500 dollars.

Moreover, we do not trust the TÜIK inflation. We look at the ENAG inflation and the resultingfigures based on it.If weassume a realistic exchange rate, we can say that our national income is not 1 trillion 358 billion dollars,but rather around 760-800 billion dollars, and that the per capita income is not 15,463 dollars, but at the level of 8,600 dollars.In short,

55 percent of theannounced per capita incomeis just soapbubbles.... Percapita income is calculated by dividing the national income by a population of 86 million.If you add at least 5 million refugees who are not included in these calculations,this figure will be even lower.lower.”

From the article dated March 9, 2025I felt the need to repeat this for two good reasons. One is that Vice President Cevdet Yılmaz, while closing out the year 2025, “We are among the high-income countries” made a statement. According to the Medium-Term Program,our national income is 1.5 trillion dollarswill pass, thatthe average per capita income will reach 18 thousand dollars. Upon the repetition of this claim,I felt the need to remind you of my objection on March 9, 2025.The second reason for reminding you of this article is as follows: I am not the only one who raised this objection. Independent economist

salso share this view.composed of academics and measuring inflation every month, ENAG'sco-founder Prof. Dr. Veysel Ulusoy's response to a question from my dear friend, economistandjournalist Şeref Oğuz... Şeref Oğuz, regarding Cevdet Yılmaz's "weare among the high-income group countries"claim. recalling the claim, “really, is our national income 1.3 trillion dollars?” he asks.

Prof. Dr. Veysel Ulusoy also states that, as a result of ENAG's calculations using inflation and real exchange rate figures, Turkey's national income is in the range of $850-875 billion, and that theper capita national income is not as claimed; Not $17,000, even with optimistic calculations, it says it is below $10,000.(January 2, 2026, Ekonomim Newspaper)

There is agreat parallel between the calculations I made at the beginning of March and the calculations made by Prof. Veysel Ulusoy, the founder of ENAG, at the end of the year.great parallel.

The public administration in Turkey isto their statements, especially regarding TURK calculations, agreat sense of distrust hasemerged. The market prices citizens encounter and the inflation they are crushed under compared to TURThere is a world of difference between the inflation announced by theofficial institution and the actual inflation.

As individuals, we feel this difference in the markets and grocery stores. Since 2020, the data released by ENAG, which consists of independent economists,has alsoand we confirm this with their statements. Even though some economistfriends object to TÜİK (TurkStat), for some reason, they do not want to include ENAG data in their agenda.

For one thing Let's saythis. The inflation everyoneexperiences differs according to their ownconsumption basket.I cannot measure inflation inTurkey, but I have been measuring my own inflation since 2022. It is neck andneck with ENAG. That is why I take ENAG's inflation data seriously.

WE ARE 16TH ON ONE SIDE AND 85TH ON THE OTHER

I must alsosay this. The IMF calculates Turkey's national income and percapita income based on official data. Accordingto this, it is theworld's16thlargestwe are the economy, but in terms of per capita income we are showing a very poor performance.

In a report published in October 2025, the IMFstated that the per capitanational income in Turkey,even according toTÜİKitself, above, projected at 18,189 dollars. But even this levelpushed Turkey's position in the world ranking down to85th place. Turkey was in 76th place in 2023 and 72nd place in 2024......

According to the IMF's World Economic Outlook Reportsince 1980, perin per capita income country rankings, Turkey was 55th in 1980, 51st in 1990, and at thetime of the severe economic crises in 2001, it was 71st. Turkey, which was 71st in 2001, fell to 85th in 2025in therankings.its.

According to Prof. Esfender Korkmaz and Prof. Dr. Binhan Elif Yılmaz, per capita incomein 2022 was12 thousand dollars, which isbelow the worldaverage.30 percent lower. (From the book Development Model for Turkey)

I asked artificial intelligence a question. According to the GDP calculated by TUIK, it isIf it weren't for the suppressed exchange rate, Turkey's world rank in terms of the largest economy would be, and per capita it would be howwould rank in thefollowing:

The world'sbiggestnot 16th, but 22nd or 24thlargest economy... Andin terms of per capita ranking, it is 95thin the world. – The 105th... If you add therefugee population as well, whichin the per capita ranking, a fewsteps further down wefallLet me also remind you that we will choose.