Freeze the prices!

Minister of Trade Ömer Bolat said in a statement last week that they expect a major discount campaign from supermarkets.

Following this, President Tayyip Erdoğan also said, “We invite all our tradespeople and businesses, especially our chain supermarkets, to support our fight against inflation and the high cost of living with the discounts they will make.”

After passing to the Demirören family, known for their gas business, the internet version of Vatan Newspaper—which abandoned its former identity and became completely pro-government—published a report yesterday. According to this report, the country's leading retail groups have complied with these calls and have applied discounts on thousands of products!

It is as if we don't live in this country; we are swallowing the tall tales of these liars…

*

I was at the market just this Friday. A single head of celery was 30 liras…

And a kilo was 100 liras!

I am talking to you about God’s own celery! 

I asked the vendor, “Is anyone buying?”

And wouldn't you know it, the guy turned out to be a die-hard “Reis” supporter.

“Don't buy it, brother… We buy it and eat it with pleasure!”

“But isn't it expensive?”

“What isn't expensive? Diesel is expensive, fertilizer is expensive…”

“Well… Then?”

“When everything gets a price hike, of course this will be expensive too…”

“But not everything is getting a price hike… For instance, my pension isn't.”

“You get money for nothing. Just sit on it and don't make a sound. You have no risks at all… When the day comes, your money is in the account! Little or much! What more do you want?”

I swear I had this dialogue…

I was left speechless!

I couldn't say, “We don't get that money for nothing. We paid premiums to this state for 30 years for that pension. The state isn't giving us charity; it is paying back the premiums we paid.”

My heart couldn't take this much stupidity—if it wasn't stupidity, then sycophancy; if it wasn't sycophancy, then madness.

I stayed silent.

*

A kilo of celery is 100 liras, but according to the pro-government gas-tycoon's website, supermarkets have made discounts on thousands (!) of products…

I feel like screaming:

I swear it's a lie, I swear it's a lie… Forget about discounts, the same price doesn't even stay on a product for three days!

*

There is no point in lowering wages in real terms to prevent inflation…

This method serves no purpose other than impoverishing a large part of the public!

So, what is the real measure that needs to be taken?

Monitoring or even freezing prices!

You read that right:

If necessary, you, as the state, will cover the producer's losses, but…

You will freeze the prices… 

You will say; “Until a second decision is made, it is forbidden to raise prices on all basic consumer goods and services sold in this country!” 

Don't object immediately, saying “It can't be done…”

Because if there is a will, it can be done!

They say this would be an intervention in the free market…

If it isn't, I'll be disappointed!

If your free market has lost its conscience, has gone out of control, has turned into a plunder economy, and has reached the point of theft; to hell with such a free market!

And what kind of free economy is this where the state doesn't intervene in insane price hikes but can arbitrarily limit home and shop rents to 25 percent…

And for two years at that!

*

Don't look at what the lying and pro-government media writes!

No supermarket is offering any discounts whatsoever!

And at this rate, they won't…

This is the only thing to do to stop price increases and prevent inflation!

Come on, make such a decision, and we will applaud you!

Show that you are on the side of the citizen, not the plunderer, the profiteer, or the opportunist.

But you can't do it…

Because you are the representatives of “plunder-archy”…