CHP's Erhan Adem reacts to Erdoğan: 'The state's duty is not to cover the damage, but to prevent it'

Evaluating President Erdoğan's statements following the Cabinet meeting, Erhan Adem, CHP Deputy Chairman responsible for Agriculture and Forestry Policies, said, 'Which products are covered by the support? When will the payments be made? Why are important products like hazelnuts not on the announced list? These questions remain unanswered. But the main issue is this: Why was this damage not prevented from occurring in the first place?'

In a written statement, Adem included the following remarks: 'President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan's announcement after the cabinet meeting that payments would be made to farmers without TARSİM insurance according to their losses has raised many questions in the public eye and created anxiety among farmers. While products such as apricots, grapes, apples, peaches, and nectarines were listed in the announcement, the fact that hazelnuts, for example, one of Turkey's important export items, are not on this list is a serious deficiency. Will many other fruit types also be left out of the scope? According to what criteria was this decision made? Did the Ministry of Agriculture consult with producers while determining this list?'

'A BAD COPY OF THE PAST'

Erhan Adem said, 'This announcement made to the farmer yesterday is far from solving the producer's problems; on the contrary, it looks like a bad copy of the past. We have seen this movie before. Similar support was announced during the drought in 2021, only certain products were included, and the support was delayed for months. The producers of this country are left alone in every natural disaster, in every moment of crisis. It is the same uncertainty, the same lack of trust again.'

'THE PROBLEM IS NOT THE DISASTER OR THE FROST, BUT A GOVERNMENT THAT TAKES NO PRECAUTIONS'

Adem stated, 'The source of the problem is not just drought, frost, or floods. The real source of the problem is the existence of a government that takes no precautions, even though it knows that these disasters are now a fact of nature. We are facing a mindset that has been unable to combat the effects of climate change for years, ignores agriculture instead of supporting it, and abandons the farmer to their fate instead of guiding them. After every disaster, the President comes out and makes a promise by saying, "We will cover the losses." However, it is no longer acceptable to present the support that is the farmer's constitutional right as if it were a favor. The Minister of Agriculture, meanwhile, is content with only "get well soon" messages during this process. An institution that manages agriculture should be in the field not only during times of crisis, but at all times. So, when has this ministry ever stood by the producer?'

'WHY HAS A COMPREHENSIVE AGRICULTURAL INSURANCE SYSTEM STILL NOT BEEN ESTABLISHED?'

Adem included the following remarks: 'Today, the farmers of this country are already struggling with high input costs, debts, the climate crisis, water problems, and lack of planning, and on top of that, they are left to face natural disasters alone. The producer no longer wants to hear the sentence, "We will cover your losses." The producer wants to ask why this damage could not be foreseen, why it could not be prevented, and why the same scenario is repeated after every disaster. Turkey is experiencing a major crisis in agriculture, and it is not just the producer who pays the price for this, but the consumer as well. When food prices have skyrocketed and production has come to a standstill, saying "we will cover the damage" is not a solution. There is now a need for preventive policies that secure the agricultural future of this country, transparent support systems that protect the producer's sweat, and a management approach that inspires confidence. This country has a debt to its farmers. This debt cannot be paid with headlines of "good news." Debt is paid with timely, fair, equal, and sustainable support. Turkey's production power is its farmers. Whoever leaves them alone puts the future of this country at risk. A country that forgets its farmers loses its future.'