This budget is contrary to human rights

Last week, Tuesday, December 10, was World Human Rights Day. And right now, the 2025 budget is being debated in Parliament. For many years, especially during the AKP era, the budget in Turkey has failed to be one that looks out for its citizens. The definition of a "Social State" in the Constitution has remained merely on paper.

Since the economy is a matter of production and distribution, we must clearly define economic and political preferences, the fundamental rights of society (individuals), and the duties of the state.

Universal human rights such as the right to life, equality before the law, and freedom of thought and expression are no longer sufficient for our modern world. Due to the neoliberal system, especially over the last 40 years, rights such as education, housing, and health, as well as rights arising from public ownership, need to be redefined as state duties because of the growing inequality left to the market.

It is the primary duty of the state to ensure environmental rights such as the right to a dignified life, the right to safe food, the right to health, the right to education, the right to housing, the right to work, the right to social security, and the protection of air, water, forests, pastures, and wetlands.

In addition to these rights, the principle of "Equality of Citizens" is not limited to equality before the law. "Equality of Citizenship in Public Ownership" is an indispensable right.

All of the country's natural resources, mines, roads, highways, bridges, airports, dams, technological infrastructure, electricity and telecommunications infrastructure, satellites in the sky, education and health systems, and urban rents arising from administrative decisions, zoning plans, or investments—in short, all assets, whether natural or man-made, that have been built or acquired by the public through taxes—are the equal and common property of all citizens. For this reason, the budget created by the state with revenues from taxes, natural resources (especially mines), and other sources (public sector enterprises + urban rents) must be spent according to the principles of a "Social State."

The right to free and quality education for everyone (at every age)...

The right to quality, preventive, and curative free healthcare for everyone...

The right to an income level where two people can live in prosperity with a single pension...

The right to social security that provides a humane life for the unemployed who cannot access the right to employment for any reason, the disabled, those unable to work, and everyone in need of assistance...

These are the indispensable conditions of a "Social State."

HOW SHOULD A SOCIAL STATE BUDGET THAT PRIORITIZES PEOPLE BE STRUCTURED...

First and foremost, the fundamental principle must be sound money and a balanced budget. A balanced budget means zero interest.

The taxes collected are insufficient relative to the size of the Gross Domestic Product (GDP). In Turkey, this ratio is at the level of 18-20 percent of GDP. This ratio is 40 percent in the USA, 45-50 percent in developed Western European countries, and around 55 percent in Northern European countries. Without collecting taxes at these rates, the claim of being a Social State is an empty one.

In developed countries, the ratio of indirect taxes is 30 percent, and the ratio of direct taxes is 70 percent. In our country, the exact opposite is the case. This is a massive injustice. Today, the richest person in Turkey will pay 510 liras in tax to the state for their mobile phone in 2025, and so will a retiree struggling to get by on a pension of 12,500 liras.

By not increasing indirect taxes—and even easing them—and by raising direct taxes to 70 percent of total tax revenues, it is possible to double total tax revenues, fulfill the principles of a social state, and provide the resources needed for new investments.

For a budget that looks out for all the fundamental human rights and welfare of citizens, my proposal for the distribution of budget expenditures, based on the budget expenditures of developed countries that implement social state principles, is as follows:

15 percent for state services (police, military, justice, and all other services)

20 percent for Education... (However, all education spending made with the current understanding of education is wasted.)

10 percent for Health... (Healthcare should be completely free and health expenditures should be supported by health insurance.)

20 percent for Pension system support (Payments made to retirees in Turkey are 4.3 percent of national income; the world average is double that at 8 percent, and the European average is 11 percent)

6 percent for non-pension social transfers

4 percent for R&D

25 percent (agricultural support, infrastructure investments, direct state investments, planned private sector investment incentives)

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Equality before the law, equality of opportunity, high democratic standards, and freedoms of thought, expression, organization, and enterprise are indispensable conditions for "Human Rights" and "Equality of Citizens." The economic infrastructure of the principle of "Equality of Citizens" and the principle of the "Social State" is the budget. Budgets made to enrich cronies and pay interest are contrary to human rights and the principle of equality of citizens.