Özgür Özel makes statement on fresh tea prices in Rize

"While Turkey is the 5th largest tea producer in the world, we are the number one tea-consuming country. We are on the lands where 55-60 percent of Turkey's tea production takes place," said Özel, adding, "In recent years, the Justice and Development Party attempted to introduce a tea law.

We also submitted a proposal, but the AK Party's was a terrible legislative proposal. They already went ahead and transferred the beautiful ÇAYKUR to the Wealth Fund. They tried to effectively privatize ÇAYKUR, which is the bread and butter for 1.5 million people, hand it over to large cartels, and turn tea producers into laborers for large capital companies.

Taking away people's professions, their livelihoods, their labor, their income, turning them into laborers, and exploiting their professional efforts is exactly the work of the representatives of this world order in our country. Some want to hand over ÇAYKUR, which provides a living for 1.5 million people, to global cartels and crush them. We will not let you be crushed. The ant has a brother, and its name is the Republican People's Party," he stated.

"TEA PRICE MUST BE ANNOUNCED AS AT LEAST 25 LIRA"

Emphasizing that the price of fresh tea should be at least 25 lira this year, Özel said, "Our deputies came together and prepared the Republican People's Party's tea law proposal. Our proposal is one that will make tea producers smile, not foreign companies. We say there should be a base price for tea. There should be a penalty for buying tea below the price announced by ÇAYKUR.

Those who try to steal the labor of the tea producer should face the consequences from both God and the state. As for the base price, what we are saying is that the 11 lira and 30 kuruş premium announced last year means nothing. In a place where there is 120 percent inflation, gasoline and diesel prices cause everything from needles to thread to be hiked.

Last May, when diesel went from 4 lira to 19 lira, we were saying it was very expensive. At that time, they were saying they would lower inflation and make life cheaper, but what happened? Gasoline and diesel became 43 lira. Under these conditions, the tea price, which was 11 lira and 33 kuruş, must be announced as at least 25 lira this year. We will never accept a price below this," he said.

"WE WANT PERMANENT STAFF STATUS"

Expressing that they want permanent staff status for ÇAYKUR's seasonal workers, Özel said, "ÇAYKUR workers work for 6 months and do not work for 6 months. All of Rize's politicians, deputies, ministers, and whoever came to Rize have repeatedly promised permanent staff status to ÇAYKUR laborers, but it was not kept.

Now they say, 'They work for 6 months and want money for the 6 months they lie around.' However, the ÇAYKUR worker does not say that. They say, 'Give us work, let us work. We want to work for 12 months.' We stand with the ÇAYKUR worker. We support their demands. We no longer want seasonal worker status for ÇAYKUR workers, we want permanent staff status," he said.