Don't Just Say "Gold"...

At the beginning of the week, I was traveling by bus from Fethiye to İzmir. There was no rain, it was late afternoon. Schools had been closed for quite some time. It wasn't a holiday or a special occasion. It had been nearly two hours since official workplaces had emptied out. Traffic was moving slowly from the Buca junction onwards. After reaching the Pınarbaşı junction, the movement of vehicles was inch by inch. A tortoise could have moved faster. The distance between the Pınarbaşı junction and the İzmir bus terminal turn-off is about 1-1.5 km. Even though our bus driver was skillful and tried to pass from the side, it took us exactly 1.5 hours to reach the terminal. The journey between Fethiye and the İzmir bus terminal normally takes 5-5.5 hours. We arrived in exactly 7 hours. And this wasn't even inside İzmir, but on the ring road. It has been nearly 2 years since the last local elections.

Although the AKP Istanbul Metropolitan Municipality candidate had announced that the İzmir ring road would start immediately, I have not heard of any work regarding whether the government has any preparations. Budget negotiations are also starting in the Grand National Assembly of Turkey (TBMM). I wonder if the İzmir ring road is included in the new budget? We are waiting with curiosity.

The evening was quite advanced; when I arrived at the bus terminal taxi stand, the clock showed 19.30. Since our departure from Fethiye was at 13.00, the bus journey between Fethiye and İzmir took six and a half hours. I got into a taxi, and we headed towards the Alsancak ferry terminal. We were chatting with the drivers. The taxi driver said, "When it's late afternoon, between 17.00 and 19.00, we practically come to a standstill. We try not to pick up passengers. Traffic just stops." When I arrived home, it was well past eight in the evening.

Wait, let me not pass without telling you the main point. The fare I paid when getting out of the taxi was 435.00 TL. I must say, I was surprised. I happened to have 440.00 TL in my pocket, so I wasn't embarrassed in front of the driver. There was no POS device in the taxi either. I had come by taxi on the same route at the beginning of July and paid 250.00 TL. An increase of nearly 40% in 3 months. Is inflation falling? Or is it soaring? We wouldn't be exaggerating if we said our money has become worthless.

When Ali Babacan, the leader of the DEVA (Democracy and Progress) Party, stopped by a jewelry store, he showed through gold how the 200.00 TL note, the largest denomination of the Turkish Lira, has melted away. While you could buy three quarter-gold coins with the two hundred lira note that entered circulation in 2009, today, since a quarter-gold coin has exceeded ten thousand liras, you need at least 50 of the 200.00 TL notes to buy one quarter-gold coin, and 150 of the 200 TL notes for three quarter-gold coins. Woe to my country. CHP Chairman Özgür Özel is not doing the gold math in rallies for nothing. Inflation and high cost of living should not be the fate of this country. This is called poverty, destitution. It is not just retirees and students; 89% of Turkey's population is below the 91,000.00 TL poverty line. In a country where even the hunger threshold is 26,000 Lira and the minimum wage is 22,000 Lira, you can figure out the rest.

Citizens are living on debt and credit cards. Total individual debt has exceeded 5 trillion TL. They are already having a very hard time maintaining their daily lives. How will they pay? The debt of tradesmen and businesses is 16 trillion Lira. Is it only citizens, businesses, and tradesmen who have gone into debt? The Treasury borrowed in terms of gold and unfortunately suffered a loss exceeding 12 billion dollars. In other words, it both borrowed and lost money. Turkey is a country of debts, and this is its new address.

To show the artificial wealth, the government has had the mint print tons of metal one and "50 kuruş" coins. Isn't this exactly like an Aziz Nesin story?

Meanwhile, there was a 5% hike in cigarettes. Bread and simit are around 20 Lira. Don't stress, reduce smoking, cut bread from your table, and you will live healthier. You will also be practicing economy, that is, saving. You will both live healthier and contribute to covering the interest on your debts.

If the government wants the country to be saved as soon as possible, it must find a solution, whether it be an early election or a resignation. What are Özgür Özel and the masses saying? "We want the candidate by my side, the ballot box in front of me." Despite all these negatives, we have no right to be hopeless. There is always a way out.

Prof. Dr. Nurettin DEMİR