Interesting defense for water price hikes from AKP Mayor! 'If we make water cheaper, they will use more'

In Konya, the fact that water bills have exceeded electricity bills has sparked public outcry. Konya Metropolitan Municipality Mayor Uğur İbrahim Altay responded to criticisms regarding high water prices, stating that they use prices as a conservation tool because making water cheaper would increase consumption.

In Konya, water prices are updated every three months based on the Producer Price Index (TEFE). Once one of the cities with the cheapest water in Turkey, Konya has seen water bills surpass electricity bills following consecutive price hikes. Mayor Altay acknowledged in a television program he attended that high water bills are among the most complained-about issues in the city.

Altay stated that Konya is a city poor in water resources and carries a risk of desertification according to NASA data. He said that high water prices are not intended to increase revenue, but rather that they have adopted this method to encourage water conservation. Altay said, "We update our water prices every 3 months based on the TEFE rate. Water prices in Konya are currently 30.27 liras for up to 15 cubic meters. When compared to other metropolitan cities, Konya's water prices are at an average level. However, cheap water leads to its use in agricultural and livestock irrigation, creating pressure on resources."

Mayor Altay pointed out the importance of using water as drinking water, stating, "We want to provide service to our citizens at the most affordable price. However, in the current situation, since making water cheaper would cause more water to be consumed, we use this as a conservation tool." He also noted that water prices are not very high when compared to other cities and emphasized the importance of conservation in every field.