Economic message from Özgür Özel: 'The bill should be sent to Erdoğan'

Participating in the “Morning Compass with Gökhan Kayış” program broadcast on Tele2, CHP Chairman Özgür Özel made evaluations regarding the economic situation in Turkey. Objecting to the responsibility for the economic crisis being placed solely on Treasury and Finance Minister Mehmet Şimşek, Özel said, “Whatever Mehmet Şimşek is doing, he is doing it because of Erdoğan. Sending the bill to anyone other than Erdoğan in this country is just playing into Erdoğan’s hands.”

Özgür Özel, who also made statements in front of Silivri Prison, touched upon ongoing trials and Turkey’s economic agenda. Criticizing the government over minimum wage debates and the economic policies being implemented, Özel stated that economic decisions are shaped by political preferences.

“MEHMET ŞİMŞEK IS IMPLEMENTING ORDERS”

Stating that he does not find it correct to show Mehmet Şimşek as the sole person responsible for the negative trend in the economy, Özel referred to the period of the previous Treasury and Finance Minister, Nureddin Nebati. Özel used the following expressions:

“Mehmet Şimşek is not doing anything. The previous one, Nebati, didn’t do anything either. Whatever Nebati did, he did because of Erdoğan; whatever Mehmet Şimşek is doing, he is doing because of Erdoğan. Mehmet Şimşek is just someone brought in and put in the shop window to take the burden off Erdoğan’s back during Erdoğan’s process. An perception is being created that ‘Erdoğan wants to give, but Mehmet Şimşek is resisting.’ Who has ever resisted Erdoğan until today for Mehmet Şimşek to be resisting?”

CRITICISM OF INFLATION AND INTEREST RATE POLICY

Reminding that President Erdoğan had criticized Mehmet Şimşek harshly in the past, Özel argued that the “Nas” (religious decree) policy was an election-oriented choice. Stating that Turkey lowered interest rates at a time when interest rate hikes were on the agenda worldwide to combat inflation, Özel made the following evaluations:

“Erdoğan said that interest rates would not be raised, ostensibly on the grounds that ‘there is Nas,’ saying ‘I know best,’ and turned a blind eye to rising inflation. This was a choice made to win the election. Interest rates were kept low, money was made abundant in the market, and the consumer confidence index was artificially raised. People turned to spending so that their money would not lose value, and housing and rent prices increased. With the Currency Protected Deposit scheme, money was taken from the poor and given to the rich.”

Touching upon past judicial processes in the program, Özgür Özel reminded that prosecutor Zekeriya Öz, whom the government stood behind during the Ergenekon and Balyoz trials, is a fugitive today. Expressing that figures such as İlker Başbuğ, Mehmet Haberal, and Mustafa Balbay, who were tried with accusations of being “coup plotters” and “terrorists” during that process, are living their lives with their heads held high today, Özel said, “That day, Erdoğan was behind Zekeriya Öz, and we were on the side of the victims. Today, we continue to stand against the world’s greatest slanders.”

VISIT TO MERDAN YANARDAĞ

Stating that he visited imprisoned journalist Merdan Yanardağ in prison, Özgür Özel conveyed that Yanardağ’s morale is good. Drawing attention to the government’s stance on the definition of terrorism, Özel said, “Those who told Merdan Yanardağ yesterday ‘you are praising a terrorist organization’ are negotiating with the founder of the same organization today.”

News Source: 12punto