Dervişoğlu highlights the Palace's spending: 'The only person who needs to save is Erdoğan'

İYİ Party Chairman Müsavat Dervişoğlu spoke at his party's group meeting in the Grand National Assembly of Turkey (TBMM). 

'AUSTERITY' CRITICISM

Continuing his remarks by criticizing the government's economic policies, Dervişoğlu said: 

"You cannot generate revenue for the treasury or achieve public austerity by riding on the backs of our nation and eyeing what is in their pockets and their throats. The Presidency spent 1 billion 158 million TL in May 2024, but according to Şimşek, if there is to be austerity, the place he has his eyes on is the citizen's back. The only person in this country who needs to save is Erdoğan."

QUESTION TO ŞİMŞEK ON TAX AMNESTY

Dervişoğlu directed the following 4 questions to Minister Şimşek:

"Where will the 12.5 billion TL, which is assumed to be obtained through this regulation that makes the departure fee almost equal to the price of a round-trip flight abroad, be used? Will it be spent on retirees, the unemployed, that is, our nation? Or will it be distributed to your insatiable cronies?

If the 12.5 billion TL you claim is significant revenue for you, how will you explain the 188 billion TL 'investment fund partnership earnings tax' forgiven in 2023, and the 119 billion TL 'securities and other capital market income tax' that was also forgiven? 

How do you plan to end the economic crisis that our nation is experiencing to the bone by not acting fairly in the tax system and by ruthlessly imposing more taxes?

In return for the fees collected under the name of passport application and booklet fees, how are you serving this country's passport that you are also demanding a 'Deli Dumrul tax'—like the 'bridge toll' parable—under the name of an international departure fee?"

"THE GOVERNMENT OWES EVERY RETIREE 96 THOUSAND TL"

Advocating for the improvement of retirement pensions, Dervişoğlu continued his speech as follows:

"According to Article 10 of the Constitution, everyone is equal before the law without discrimination. The government and the President violated the Constitution with the decision they made regarding retirees in July 2023. For a year, our retirees' legal entitlements have been postponed and they have been mocked. The government owes every retiree 96 thousand 824 TL for the past year. Furthermore, it is obligated to provide a welfare share of 8 thousand 77 TL starting from July."

REACTION TO 'NORMALIZATION'

Also reacting to the meetings held between the CHP and the AKP under the name of normalization, Dervişoğlu said, "The so-called new constitution, normalization, and softening rounds are not about legitimizing the sinful and hypocritical government once again or sharing in its negligence; rather, it is necessary to show who this country and state belong to. The issue of refugees and illegal migrants is a true matter of national survival."