A quarter watermelon on the sofa!

In the family homes where we spent our childhoods, we didn't have sofa beds like we do now; we had divans. We would sleep on them, and we would store melons and watermelons underneath!

This sentence might sound strange to those under 40... But for my peers, it is a nostalgia that smells like sweet melons!

***

Whether rich or poor, our fathers would pull a vegetable cart full of melons and watermelons in front of the house during these summer months, and it would fall to us to carry dozens of watermelons.

These melons and watermelons were never cut in season; they were always saved for the winter months.

And we, the innocent children of that era, would experience great happiness with every melon or watermelon that was cut.

For example, in our house, there were three divans for three siblings.

If 30 melons and watermelons could fit under each divan, that would make 90 melons and watermelons...

If a melon or watermelon was cut every two days, the cold months of winter would already be overcome.

***

Now, a kilo of melon or watermelon is 10 liras in the cheapest place...

That means one watermelon is 100 liras on average.

If we were to try to buy and store 90 melons and watermelons like our fathers did, we would have to pay 9-10 thousand liras just for that.

That is the monthly pension of millions of retirees...

Whenever I come across a stall or a pickup truck selling melons and watermelons, I drift away into those beautiful days:

Okay; we were definitely not rich, but we could do something like this. Today, however...

As the son of retired teacher Duran Mutlu, who used to enter winter by buying 90-100 watermelons, I, retired journalist Mustafa Mutlu, feel happy when I buy a quarter of a watermelon!

And would you believe it; families who cannot even afford that come to my mind.

Especially whenever I see children licking their lips while looking at the blood-red watermelons cut at the stalls... Something gets stuck in my throat.

***

So; why did it become like this?

The answer is very simple:

The state has become brazen.

Those who govern the state have sworn to make the rich richer and the poor poorer.

They have set their sights on the tomatoes, peppers, dry onions, melons, watermelons, olives, and cheese on our tables.

They don't tax diamonds, but they tax all of these, and even bread...

They tax every input of bread separately.

It's not enough; they even collect record taxes from the diesel fuel used by the trucks carrying these.

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Let's look at it through the example of watermelon:

Thousands of tons of watermelons grown by producers in the Mustafa Kemal Paşa and Karacabey districts of Bursa, the capital of our agriculture, were left in the fields.

Why?

Because the merchant gives at most two or three liras per kilo for them... This doesn't even cover the production cost.

When that happens, the farmer doesn't sell their product...

So; where does the 10 liras we pay for a kilo of watermelon go?

They say it goes to the wholesaler, right...

Lies!

The largest share of this money enters the state's coffers as taxes collected from the product or transportation costs.

***

Bursa Metropolitan Municipality Mayor Mustafa Bozbey has taken action to bring a smile to the faces of both the farmer and the citizen.

Melons and watermelons purchased from farmers at their value have started to be distributed to citizens for free at different points in the city...

This is wrong...

How long can you distribute goods you paid for for free?

Let's say twice...

And that's just for show!

What matters is not to put on a show, that is, to distribute for free, but to make them affordable to sell!

This is what is called social municipalism.

In my childhood and youth, this problem existed, though not to this extent.

Municipalities used to open state-regulated sales stores.

They would both pay the producer the production money they deserved and offer the consumer products at half the price. Thus, these stores also provided a general balance in prices.

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I invite all CHP-run municipalities to take action.

The people cannot afford tomatoes or watermelons for 10 liras, melons for 15 liras, okra for 100 liras, or olive oil for 500 liras.

The producer cannot sell their product; the consumer is going hungry.

Children are looking at watermelons while licking their lips.

Reopen the state-regulated sales stores that right-wing municipalities closed down and bring the producer and consumer together.

Prevent the state's profiteering and the greedy wholesaler's robbery.

Even develop a "suspended sale" method in these stores; ensure that those who have no money at all can also access food products.

Do this; go down in history...

Maybe there are no old divans left today, but there are still sofa beds in every home...

Let the sweet scent of melons fill the homes of today's children as well...

***

I claim that every problem in our country today has a solution...

As long as someone who wants to solve it steps forward!