Another step after TOKİ... AKP's new election agenda: 'Minimum Livelihood Support' payment claim

Cenk Başboğaoğlu - 12punto.com.tr

Minister of Environment, Urbanization and Climate Change Murat Kurum stated in recent weeks, "We are putting nearly 20 thousand residences up for sale in 64 provinces through our TOKİ Presidency." While this step is being interpreted as an election preparation by the AKP, there is now talk of a claim that the Ministry of Treasury and Finance will essentially provide a salary to citizens in the form of an "allowance."

AKP's Kurum had announced that they had launched the "Housing Project of the Century," which includes the construction of 500 thousand residences, while stating that 455 thousand residences had been completed in the 11 provinces affected by the earthquake. Regarding the project, Kurum used the expressions, "The state, which wrote this success story in the earthquake zone in 2 years, the will that has delivered 1 million 750 thousand residences to date, will hopefully deliver this to our citizens in the best and most robust form as soon as possible."

On the other hand, according to inside information obtained by 12punto, it is claimed that the Ministry of Treasury and Finance will provide salaries to citizens under the name of "Minimum Livelihood Support" as part of election preparations.

Another striking claim regarding the subject is that Minister of Treasury and Finance Mehmet Şimşek has taken action to create resources for this purpose.

'IT IS NECESSARY TO POINT OUT THAT IT WILL BE FOUND THROUGH BORROWING'

Speaking to 12punto about the claim, Economist Assoc. Prof. Dr. Oğuz Demir commented, "If the claim is true, this practice is important in terms of public resources producing solutions, even if only partially, to the problems of citizens during a period when economic problems are deepening," while drawing attention to the source of the practice:

"It is necessary to point out that in a period when the public uses its existing resources poorly; when waste, interest, and incorrect project payments are deepening, the source required for this project will be found through borrowing. On the other hand, there is also the situation that this practice is quite overdue."

'IT CONTRADICTS ITSELF'

Continuing his words, Demir said, "The alleged practice contradicts itself at this point. The government, which only makes limited raises even to wage regulations due to inflationary pressure, will in this state be focused not on solving the citizens' problems, but on its own election troubles. However, it is still important that the economic burden of our citizens be lightened to some extent in such a period."

The Ministry of Treasury and Finance has not made a statement regarding the claims.