İYİ Party's Turhan Çömez listens to tomato producers in Balıkesir: 'The nation will hold you accountable at the ballot box'

The growing economic crisis and the high cost of living are not only exhausting citizens but also making it difficult for farmers and producers to make a living. Farmers are both saddened and reactive about not being able to get a return on the harvests they have worked on for months.

İYİ Party Balıkesir Deputy Turhan Çömez also drew attention to the problems faced by tomato producers. Visiting tomato producers in the village of Karaağaç in the Sındırgı district of Balıkesir, Çömez listened to the farmers' grievances.

Stating that farmers who have worked for months for the harvest are not getting the return on their labor, Çömez said, "The villager, who cannot get the return on their labor, has had to dump their product on the street or on the ground. Some are leaving it in the field. When tomatoes are left in the field, they damage the soil because they are acidic. For this reason, they have to collect them regardless. It is an incredible crisis."

'TOMATO PASTE EXPORTS WERE BANNED, THEN WE STARTED BUYING FROM IRAN'

Stating that 3.5 TL per kilo was paid for tomatoes last year, and that this figure later rose to 4 TL, Çömez said, "Because exports were fast at that time. Tomato paste factories were buying in large quantities, making paste, and exporting it abroad. At the same time, it was added value for the villager. On the other hand, it was an important source of foreign currency for Turkey. But whatever happened, a decision was made. Why was this decision made, what was the goal, nobody knows. When we ask, we don't get an answer. With a decision taken overnight, it was said, 'Tomato paste exports are banned.' That is when the crisis broke out," he said.

Stating that a significant amount of goods remained in the hands of factories after the export ban, Çömez said that tomato paste was imported from Iran during the same period. Çömez also pointed out that tomatoes, which were 4 TL per kilo last year, are 1 TL 20 kuruş this year.

'IF YOU DO NOT SHARE THE GRIEF OF THIS NATION, THE NATION WILL HOLD YOU ACCOUNTABLE AT THE BALLOT BOX'

Addressing the ruling party members from the field, Çömez said, "You have no right to ignore the sweat of this nation. Go and govern this country properly. Do not steal, do not plunder, protect these lands. Do not betray these villagers who say, 'Protect our rights and our law.' Instead of doing false politics with the media power you have in the shiny halls and glittering venues of Ankara, come and do politics here. Come and see how the villager is suffering. The nation is giving you a lesson, sending you a message. If you do not share the grief of this nation, this nation will hold you accountable when the time for the ballot box comes," he said.

A farmer to whom Çömez extended the microphone reacted to the situation by saying, "We no longer believe in people who have the Quran in one hand and lies on their tongue."

Another tomato producer who complained about the situation said the following:

'DURING THE ELECTION, AKP DEPUTIES WERE SHOWBOATING HERE, NOW NONE OF THEM ARE HERE'

"Last year, AKP deputies were here. They were coming here and showboating. Including the former Mayor of Sındırgı, the deputies were coming and showboating in this square. Now let them come, let them sit down and decide how to fix this situation. They never come, we don't see any of them now."

To Çömez's question, "What would you say if you saw an AKP deputy?", the farmer replied, "Find a remedy for the state of this farmer. Let them close the chambers of agriculture. Let them close the Agricultural Credit Cooperatives. Farming is finished, there is no need for us to do it. Let's just quit then."

'MY CHILDREN ARE ASKING ME FOR BREAD, THERE IS NO BREAD'

Another tomato producer stated that he would not plant tomatoes next year under these conditions. The farmer continued his words as follows:

"We work in the field until the evening. Evening comes, there is no bread in the bag. My children ask me, 'Where is the bread, father?' There is no bread, the bread is gone. If they asked this administration; they don't ask, 'We worked all day, why didn't you bring bread?' Let them ask them, and let them ask us. Have they ever encountered such a thing?"