CHP's Fethi Gürer: 'TÜİK unemployment data does not reflect the truth'

CHP Niğde Deputy Ömer Fethi Gürer expressed his reaction to the unemployment data released by TÜİK during a press conference at the Turkish Grand National Assembly. Gürer stated that the announced unemployment rate does not reflect the actual situation, emphasizing that the data released using the criteria employed by TÜİK conceals the fully defined unemployment.

Gürer pointed out that interns, whom the Minister counts as students, are shown by TÜİK as young workers.

'UNEMPLOYMENT DATA DOES NOT REFLECT THE TRUTH'

Gürer stated that TÜİK's classification of students as young workers causes the youth unemployment rate to appear lower. He noted that this situation leads to approximately one million young people not being recorded as unemployed.

Reminding that TÜİK announced the unemployment rate as 8.5 percent, Gürer stated that with this rate, the number of unemployed people in Turkey is 3 million 26 thousand. Explaining which groups TÜİK includes in its unemployment calculations, Gürer emphasized that when full-time unemployment is considered rather than these figures, the number of unemployed people in the country is 11 million 457 thousand.

Gürer stated that during the AKP government era, strike decisions in Turkey have become impossible to implement, and that union organizing is being obstructed.

REACTION TO THE ARREST OF THE UNION PRESIDENT

Gürer stated that the creation of unions close to the AKP government has led to the obstruction of workers' struggle for rights, citing recent events in Gaziantep as an example. Recalling the arrest of BİRTEK-SEN General President Mehmet Türkmen, who was arrested after being detained twice, Gürer stated that while the government should adopt a solution-oriented approach between unions and employers, it has instead taken a negative stance against workers.