İYİ Party's Türkoğlu reacts to 'tax favor' for the US

İYİ Party Bursa Deputy Selçuk Türkoğlu criticized the decision published in the Official Gazette to remove additional taxes applied to certain US-origin products. Türkoğlu stated that this decision provides a major advantage to American companies.

Türkoğlu said, "They promised '300 planes' to arrange a meeting with US President Trump, and as if that wasn't enough, they have now granted billions of dollars in tax cuts to the US. The additional taxes that have been in place since 2018 have been zeroed out, including rates of 60 percent on passenger cars, 70 percent on alcohol and spirits, 30 percent on cosmetic products, 25 percent on rice, and 30 percent on tobacco."

Reminding that Turkey had retaliated against the taxes the US imposed on steel and aluminum, Türkoğlu stated, "Our taxes are still in place, but we are removing the counter-measures. In exchange for what? Nothing. The Ministry of Trade says it is targeting a trade volume of 100 billion dollars. This target is nothing more than increasing imports and widening the foreign trade deficit."

"IS THIS THE UNDERSTANDING OF AN 'INDEPENDENT TURKEY'?"

Türkoğlu noted that while new taxes were imposed on automobile imports from countries outside the European Union on the same day, US-origin automobiles were exempted from these taxes. "If you buy a car from the US instead of Germany, you are at an advantage. This is a clear favor to American companies. Who will benefit from this decision? The farmer? The industrialist? The consumer? No. This decision will line the pockets of American monopolies. While the government gives speeches about being 'domestic and national' on one hand, it acts on instructions from Washington on the other. Is this the understanding of an 'Independent Turkey'?" he asked.