TÜİK support for HKP from ENAG: 'TÜİK should share the documents with us too'

The People's Liberation Party (HKP) took the matter to the judiciary, arguing that the inflation data announced by TÜİK does not reflect the truth. The Ankara Chief Public Prosecutor's Office, however, decided that there was "no room for an investigation" regarding the HKP's criminal complaint. Inflation Research Group (ENAG) member Assoc. Prof. Dr. Oğuz Demir, in a statement to 12punto, supported the HKP and invited TÜİK to be transparent.

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TÜİK support for HKP from ENAG: 'TÜİK should share the documents with us too'

Beste ÇELİK 12punto.com.tr

The People's Liberation Party (HKP) filed a criminal complaint with the Ankara Chief Public Prosecutor's Office on July 10 against the President of the Turkish Statistical Institute (TÜİK), Erhan Çetinkaya, and the Vice Presidents of TÜİK for the crimes of "influencing prices," "misconduct in office," and "failure of a public official to report a crime." However, the Ankara Chief Public Prosecutor's Office decided that there was "no room for an investigation" regarding the HKP's criminal complaint. Speaking to 12punto, Inflation Research Group (ENAG) member Assoc. Prof. Dr. Oğuz Demir supported the HKP and stated that the decision had no basis.

“TÜİK SHOULD SHARE THESE DOCUMENTS WITH US TOO”

Inviting TÜİK to be transparent, Assoc. Prof. Dr. Demir said, “The issue I am most curious about here is what the documents were that led the prosecutor's office to decide there was no room for an investigation. They say, ‘We examined information and documents, and as a result, we saw that the work done here was in accordance with scientific standards.’ We are curious about which documents they used to reach this conclusion. I wish TÜİK would share these documents with us as well. Furthermore, if there is no problem, as the Chief Public Prosecutor's Office has decided, then there is no harm in TÜİK disclosing this data. Because everything is apparently being done correctly according to the law. If they share this data, we could all reach the same conclusion together. There is no transparency in the basis for this decision. The main point of questioning is that TÜİK's withholding of data increases these question marks,” he stated.

“THERE IS A LOSS OF RIGHTS”

Stating that a loss of rights occurs when TÜİK does not disclose the data, Assoc. Prof. Dr. Demir said, “If the Chief Public Prosecutor's Office's decision is such, then these documents can be shared with the public. We could all say together, ‘We were wrong, the economists and the citizens were wrong, and TÜİK was right.’ But their failure to publish them continues to create question marks for us. There is a loss of rights caused by the fact that this data, which forms the basis for both civil servant salary increases and minimum wage adjustments, is being hidden from the citizens at a certain point,” he explained.

“THIS IS STANDING BY A STANCE”

Assoc. Prof. Dr. Demir stated that they stand with ENAG's criminal complaint against TÜİK and concluded his words by saying, “Ultimately, any structure that seeks the rights of society should be supported; this is beyond standing by an institution, it is standing by a stance. I think, above all else, as long as we do not see this data, there is a possibility of illegality here. There is only one way to save society from these speculations: for TÜİK to act transparently. We all know that this is not a matter that will be solved by the prosecutor's office. Let them share the data with us, let us sit down and examine it all together.”

News Source: Beste Çelik