Özgür Özel calls on the government for 'tax' reform

Republican People's Party (CHP) Chairman Özgür Özel attended the 17th General Assembly of DİSK.

Making statements there, Özel announced that they have brought DİSK's demand for 'tax justice' to the Grand National Assembly of Turkey (TBMM).

Key points from Özel's remarks are as follows:

"Setting aside the bad examples of those who carry the name of a union but, instead of protecting the rights and interests of their members—either on paper or by meeting necessary conditions while keeping them under control—strive to legitimize the political power, or those who practice unionism from a purely utilitarian place without capturing the spirit of the work, abandoning its essence, or those who have reduced it to mere wage-based unionism, DİSK is waging an important struggle against all difficulties, against all kinds of pressure and intimidation exerted by the public power and state power that emerges before it, as expressed a moment ago. Of course, it is not just practicing wage-based unionism, but it is continuing and voicing an important struggle, knowing that wages are an extremely political demand.

The main issue today is to underline what a great theft of labor a wage increase system focused solely and exclusively on inflation actually is. First and foremost, there are the TUIK (Turkish Statistical Institute) data.

According to the figures of this statistical institution, inflation is 64 percent today. However, according to the studies conducted by the independent ENAG, it is 129 percent. While finding wage increases based solely on inflation problematic, even in the case where we accept it, there is the 49 percent raise received recently, but on the other side, there is an annual inflation of 129 percent due to the manipulations made by TUIK.

Something very interesting happened yesterday. The Presidency of Religious Affairs (Diyanet) had calculated the fitra (charitable donation) as 70 TL last year; yesterday, it announced it as 130 liras. On one hand, TUIK is there, and on the other hand, Diyanet calculates the money required for a person who cannot fast to provide the fitra for someone fasting on their behalf—to cover their daily food needs—as 130 liras. A family of 5, having 3 children by listening to Erdoğan, needs 19 thousand 500 liras per month at 130 liras per person."

"AN UNEQUAL AND UNJUST TAX SYSTEM IS BEING APPLIED"

'A family of 5 can only feed themselves with 19 thousand 500 liras,' says Diyanet. On the other hand, there is a government that gives a minimum wage of 17 thousand 2 liras, saying 'You can support your family,' and a government that sets the lowest pension at 10 thousand liras and imposes this wage, claiming that retirees can get by with this money.

An unequal and unjust tax system is being applied. Calculating salaries according to inflation is nothing more than a method of fueling poverty. Wealth is not being taxed, and an unequal tax system that does not distinguish between the rich and the poor is being applied through indirect taxes. We have embraced DİSK's tax demand and submitted it to Parliament."