CHP's Akay holds 'Waste Exhibition' in the Grand National Assembly: Lists ministers' vehicles

During the 2025 budget negotiations in the TBMM General Assembly, Akay displayed photographs titled 'Waste Exhibition' and stated: 'Ministers themselves and high-level officials need to comply with austerity measures, but unfortunately, that has not been the case.'

The photos you see here are a waste exhibition; these vehicles were used to arrive at these meetings. You said 'domestic and national,' but you arrived in ultra-luxury vehicles that are neither domestic nor national. The only thing you are domestic and national in is domestic and national inflation; this inflation has become your hallmark,' he said.

Negotiations for the 2025 budgets of the Ministry of Trade and the Ministry of Treasury and Finance are ongoing in the TBMM General Assembly. 

Speaking on the general budget of the Ministry of Treasury and Finance, CHP Karabük Deputy Cevdet Akay said the following in his address to the General Assembly:

The central budget size is 14.7 trillion, and public revenues are 12.8 trillion; there is already a deficit of 1 trillion 930 billion. Interest expenses, as in the previous year, remain one of the significant problems of this budget; we have an interest expense of 1 trillion 950 billion. This budget has entered a spiral in terms of principal, interest, and exchange rate costs. The debt stock carried over from 2023 to 2024 is 6.7 trillion, of which exactly 1 trillion 722 billion is due to exchange rate differences. As of now, there is a debt stock of around 9.1 trillion, and this impasse continues. We cannot generate net borrowing revenue; we cannot pay off the interest and principal to reduce the debt. To do this, we need to increase exports, employment, and production, but unfortunately, we do not see this in this budget.

"MONEY IS BEING TAKEN BACK FROM THE PUBLIC'S POCKETS WITH INTEREST"

The most important problem here is that we see some public institutions and organizations have started to incur losses after being brought under the Turkey Wealth Fund. One of these is BOTAŞ. In the last three years, this country has offset 388 billion in BOTAŞ's debt related solely to duty losses against taxes; in other words, BOTAŞ continues to lose money while simultaneously continuing to increase bills. Natural gas has been hiked 17 times in the last six years, an increase of 532 percent; taxes, specifically indirect taxes, have been increased by 345 percent in the last six years. On one hand, they say 'We are supporting the public,' but on the other hand, they are taking this money back fourfold from the public's pockets through taxes and price hikes.

"WE COULD HAVE PROVIDED FREE MEALS TO OUR STUDENTS FOR 3.5 YEARS"

PPP and build-operate-transfer projects are a massive problem for our country; there are 44 companies, 37 of which have not filed any tax returns, while 7 have, declaring a tax base of 12.6 billion and paying only 2.8 billion in VAT. Since 2005, 79.5 billion dollars have been paid to these companies, and 162 billion will be paid this year. The total amount to be paid this year and over the next three years is 678 billion TL. It doesn't end there; these companies are granted exemptions through tax, duty, and fee waivers, with exemptions granted 128 times. Of the 3 trillion 5 billion in tax expenditures—revenue foregone through exemptions, exceptions, and deductions—a large portion of the 701 billion belongs to these companies. Do you know what could have been done with this 701 billion? There are 3 million 703 thousand retirees receiving the lowest pension, which is 12,500 lira! With this money, we could have paid them 25,000 TL instead of 12,500 TL. We have students who cannot afford to eat. There are 14 million 574 thousand students, and the cost is 190 billion. We could have provided free meals to these students for 3.6 years with this money. Furthermore, we have students receiving scholarships, around 629 thousand. In addition to these, we could have provided scholarships to another 557 thousand people. Let's say we increased it from 2,000 lira to 10,000 lira, an increase of 8,000 lira; we could have covered this 8,000 lira increase for 8.7 years.

CALCULATED BASED ON UNJUSTIFIED VAT REFUNDS

There are unjustified VAT refunds. Domestic VAT is around 2.8 trillion, and 48 percent of this is subject to refunds. Even if we saved just 25 percent of this, it would amount to 347 billion, Mr. Minister. What could have been done with this 347 billion? The number of registered farmers is 2 million 177 thousand; 159,000 TL could have been transferred to these farmers annually, or 13,277 TL monthly, but unfortunately, we could not transfer it.

"YOUR TRADEMARK IS THIS INFLATION"

Austerity measures were published, and ministers themselves and high-level officials are supposed to comply with these measures, but unfortunately, that did not happen. Waste has run rampant here as well; the photos you see here during the Planning and Budget Committee meetings are a waste exhibition; these vehicles were used to arrive at these meetings—ministers came, deputy ministers came, high-level bureaucrats came; the expenses incurred for these... You said 'domestic and national,' but you arrived in ultra-luxury vehicles that are neither domestic nor national. There is only one thing you are domestic and national in, and that is domestic and national inflation; this inflation has become your trademark. While import prices were falling and domestic prices increased by 116 percent in two years, you, in the fight against inflation,  unfortunately, were not successful.

REMINDED OF PRESIDENTIAL PROTECTION EXPENSES

Presidential protection expenses were 122 million in 2018,  In 2025, it is rising to 2.8 billion; there is an increase of 2,237 percent. With this, the pensions of 19,152 people receiving the lowest pension could have been paid, and the monthly salaries of 14,000 minimum wage earners could have been covered. However, you continue to transfer wealth from retirees and laborers to interest.  During this nine-month period, the amount paid for principal and interest could have covered the salaries of 7 million workers. There will be a raise for the minimum wage, but low figures are being discussed; we want the minimum wage to be at least 30,000 TL. Furthermore, we demand that the lowest pension be increased to 30,000 TL. We emphasize once again: 'Minimum wage 30; we will not accept anything less.'