Ali Babacan recounts dialogue with AKP figures: 'We keep eating and eating, it never ends'

DEVA Party Chairman Ali Babacan, appearing on the "Presidents Ask" program on Tivi 6, made sharp criticisms regarding the detention method used against Sadettin Saran. Babacan stated that detaining the president of a major football club with police escort, in an environment where it is expected that he would come immediately if called from abroad, damages the sense of justice:

"Why do you send police to the home of a person who has come when called from abroad, instead of calling them to the courthouse with a phone call? Such practices damage the sense of justice in Turkey."

THE "WE ARE EATING YOUR LEGACY, IT NEVER ENDS" DIALOGUE

Babacan also recounted a dialogue he had with one of the former economy ministers of the AKP. Regarding the minister who told him, "We cannot finish eating your legacy," Babacan said the following:

“We met somewhere, he leaned into my ear and said, ‘Honestly, you left such a legacy that we keep eating and eating, and it never ends.’ I replied, ‘Everything has an end, everything runs out one day.’ Unfortunately, it has run out now.” Babacan also argued that the raises to be made to the minimum wage and pensions would be insufficient.

"I WOULD FIX IT IN ONE MINUTE"

Babacan made a striking statement regarding the solution to problems in the judiciary. Stating that Selahattin Demirtaş, Can Atalay, and Osman Kavala are being held in prison unjustly, Babacan claimed that if he were President, he would fix the judicial system in one minute:

"If I were President, I would fix the system in one minute with a two-sentence instruction after the oath-taking ceremony. It is that simple. I would say, ‘Friends, there are no phones, no note pads, you will do whatever the law says.’ It is that simple." Emphasizing that there is pressure on the judiciary, Babacan said, "If the judiciary is independent, there is no need to repeat it every day. There is serious interference here."

CRITICIZED THE SDIF: "IT BECAME THE LARGEST HOLDING"

Babacan continued his criticisms regarding the economy in Turkey. Reminding that the purpose of the Savings Deposit Insurance Fund (SDIF) was temporary ownership, Babacan stated that this institution has now turned into Turkey's largest holding company:

“The purpose of the SDIF was to collect the state's dues and seize companies. But today, the SDIF has turned into Turkey's largest holding company. Who is the manager of this holding? The government, the ruling power.”

DREW ATTENTION TO PRESSURE ON THE JUDICIARY

Ali Babacan also criticized the government's emphasis that "the judiciary is independent," stating that there is pressure on the judiciary behind this rhetoric:

“They say the judiciary is independent, which means there is something going on. Why do they repeat this every day? Because there is very serious pressure on the judiciary. Everyone knows about this influence on the judiciary.”

Babacan also criticized the minimum wage hike and inflation policies. He argued that the government made a wrong diagnosis and said that the emphasis on "expected inflation" could never be accepted:

"While raises were given in line with realized inflation for years, you are inventing something called ‘expected inflation’ and usurping the rights of the people. Wrong diagnosis, wrong treatment, kills the patient. They think that the cause of inflation in Turkey is high demand. However, the cause of inflation in Turkey is cost increases."

Babacan stated that the policies implemented to lower inflation are wrong and that these mistakes put fixed-income citizens in an even more difficult situation.

"YOU CANNOT TALK TO PEOPLE LIKE US"

Emphasizing that he was at the head of an economic management team in the past that reduced inflation in Turkey to single digits and maintained it for years, Babacan made the following statement:

“If you want to talk to those of us who reduced inflation to single digits, come, we are ready to talk here. But do not waste time with empty hopes and empty dreams.”

News Source: 12punto