2025 budget approved

The 2025 Central Government Budget Law Proposal and the 2023 Central Government Final Account Law Proposal were approved in the TBMM General Assembly.

Speaking on his own behalf regarding the 2025 budget in the General Assembly, DSP Chairman Önder Aksakal stated that Turkey is going through a period where problems are being experienced.

Emphasizing that the world is no longer the same old world within the framework of global developments, Aksakal expressed that all values must be embraced and passed on to future generations.

Recalling the COVID-19 pandemic and the earthquakes experienced in recent years, Aksakal remarked, "When one looks at what has been experienced, one will truly say, 'This country is a great country, the Republic of Turkey is a great state.'"

Aksakal argued that sufficient resources were not allocated in the 2025 budget for the social welfare and peace of the citizens, nor for the security and development of Turkey.

Calling for the development of policies to combat unemployment and informality, Aksakal said that there is an increase in food prices and that the problems in agriculture must be solved.

Speaking on his own behalf, CHP Group Deputy Chairman Murat Emir claimed that "the 2025 budget is a budget of interest, inflation, current account deficit, and high costs of living."

Claiming that Turkey is the country with the second-highest interest rates in the world and the first in Europe, Emir remarked, "You are giving the taxes you cut from the poor to the fat cats. You are the ones who love interest."

Stating that Turkey has the highest inflation in Europe, Emir said that inflation is falling not as a result of the government's policies, but due to the base effect. Emir said, "TÜİK figures are already made up. That's why inflation looks like it has fallen from 80 percent to 47 percent. The worst is not behind us; a dark winter awaits the nation."

Criticizing the process regarding the "newborn gang" investigation, Emir spoke as follows:

"We expected you to engage in self-criticism. If the Minister of Family or the Minister of Health had said, 'There is a deficiency here, we will find it, we will do what is necessary. Let no one worry,' we would have honestly accepted it, but you did not make a gram of self-criticism. You did not understand the state of the poor; you still do not know what it means to stay in a container in the earthquake zone, you do not know what it is to go to the market towards evening and collect rotten vegetables. You were going to make a soft landing on the moon; you crashed to the ground on the night of March 31. Bring the ballot box, let the nation do what is necessary and throw you off."

"SHOW YOUR HIGH-LEVEL KNOWLEDGE IN THE MUNICIPALITIES"

Taking the floor in the General Assembly, AK Party Group Chairman Abdullah Güler reacted to the statements of CHP's Emir.

Güler stated that CHP members should use their high-level economic knowledge in the budget of the Istanbul Metropolitan Municipality, saying, "Come and explain to us a municipal budget full of investments, without debt or trouble, so we can see it. Just today, the IMM is bringing a 3.5 billion borrowing request to the Assembly. Show your high-level knowledge in the municipalities."

Following the completion of the debates, the 2025 Central Government Budget Law Proposal and the 2023 Central Government Final Account Law Proposal were voted on separately and approved.

In the voting for the 2025 Central Government Budget Law Proposal, 567 votes were cast; the proposal received 317 votes in favor, 249 against, and one abstention.

In the voting for the 2023 Central Government Final Account Law Proposal, 568 votes were cast; the proposal received 318 votes in favor, 249 against, and one abstention.

TBMM Speaker Numan Kurtulmuş thanked those who contributed to the preparation of the budget.

Kurtulmuş closed the session to reconvene on Tuesday, December 24, at 15:00.

NOTES

The budget debates in the General Assembly were also observed by AK Party Deputy Chairman Efkan Ala, MHP Chairman Devlet Bahçeli, İYİ Party Chairman Müsavat Dervişoğlu, DEM Party Co-Chairs Tuncer Bakırhan and Tulay Hatımoğulları Oruç, Yeniden Refah Party Chairman Fatih Erbakan, and HÜDA PAR Chairman Zekeriya Yapıcıoğlu.

It was observed that MHP Chairman Bahçeli was wearing a ring and a badge symbolizing the 200th anniversary of the Republic, with the inscription "2023-2123 New Century New Turkey."

News Source: AA