CHP Leader Özel speaks from Ardahan: 'They stole money from the pockets of retirees again'

CHP Leader Özgür Özel spoke in Ardahan. The economy was on Özel's agenda. Özel once again called for an early election, stating, 'You cannot make a living with 11 percent or 15 percent. You cannot make a living with a 22,000 lira minimum wage. You cannot make a living with a 14,000 lira pension. What happens if you cannot make a living? If there is no livelihood, there is an election.'

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CHP Leader Özel speaks from Ardahan: 'They stole money from the pockets of retirees again'

Republican People's Party (CHP) Chairman Özgür Özel addressed citizens in Ardahan. Touching on many issues from production to the economy in Ardahan, where cattle breeding, beekeeping, and goose farming are widely practiced due to its vast pastures and climate suitable for livestock, Özel attacked the government, saying, 'Erdoğan is a friend of the rich. He finds money for the 'gang of five' and the '40 thieves' that he cannot find for the retirees.'

'I AM NOT TELLING ERDOĞAN TO DO IT, YOU WILL DO IT'

Speaking about livestock, one of Ardahan's sources of livelihood, Özel said, 'There are things the municipality cannot do, but the government must. At the top of these is the issue of livestock in Ardahan. Today, you are selling milk for 12 lira in Ardahan, right? 12 lira. Feed is 600 lira, 660 lira. Since it is 50 kilos, a kilo of feed is 12 lira. We were supposed to be able to buy 1.5 kilos of feed when we sold a kilo of milk. If you buy 1.5 kilos of feed when you sell 1 kilo of milk, you make money. If 1 kilo of milk and 1 kilo of feed cost the same—which you cannot even get now—then unfortunately, animals go to slaughter, and livestock farming suffers. I am warning Mr. Erdoğan once again from here. In Ardahan, at minus 30 degrees at night and minus 16-17 degrees at this time of day, these people gathered here because they could not make their voices heard to you. I am not saying 'do it,' you won't do it. I am not saying 'stop those imports,' you gave your word, you will enrich your cronies. But the Republican People's Party will come in the first ballot box, it will ban imports, it will transfer those resources to the livestock farmers and producers of Ardahan, and it will make these people smile. We promise this.' he said.

'THEY STOLE MONEY FROM THE POCKETS OF RETIREES AGAIN'

Regarding the raises given to the minimum wage and pensions, Özel said, 'They did not raise the 17,000 lira minimum wage for a whole year. What was it? If we raise the minimum wage, inflation will rise. It is the biggest lie I have ever heard in my life. The Central Bank calculated that when the minimum wage increases by 1 percent, inflation increases by 0.07 percent. If you don't think about inflation when raising electricity prices, if you don't think about it when raising natural gas prices, and MTV and SCT were increased at the beginning of the year, the drivers say, 'The cars are old, we will have an accident. Forget about changing cars, I can't even change the tires.' If you don't lower the SCT and VAT, inflation will not fall. Last year, they did not raise the 17,002 lira minimum wage by a single cent for a whole year. Inflation came out at 50 percent anyway. Today, they announced inflation as 1 percent. Why? The inflation announced today will affect the total inflation. If it came out at 2.5-3 percent, they would have to give 2 points more in raises. To give retirees 11 percent instead of 12, and 15 percent instead of 16, they said inflation is 1 percent today, just like last year, with all raises effective from January 1st. They stole money from the pockets of SSK retirees, those who retired from civil service, Bağ-Kur retirees, and agricultural Bağ-Kur retirees again.' he stated.

"IF THERE IS NO LIVELIHOOD, THERE IS AN ELECTION"

Calling for an early election, Özel said, "You cannot make a living with 11 percent or 15 percent. You cannot make a living with a 22,000 lira minimum wage. You cannot make a living with a 14,000 lira pension. You cannot make a living. What happens if you cannot make a living? If there is no livelihood, there is an election. Mr. Erdoğan, yesterday my fellow citizens in Manisa were shouting, 'If there is no livelihood, there is an election.' Today, my fellow citizens in Ardahan are shouting. In minus 17-degree weather, at the other end of Turkey, 2,400 kilometers away from Manisa, the voice is the same: 'If there is no livelihood, there is an election.' As the Republican People's Party, we said 'bismillah' (in the name of God) yesterday and made our first call from Manisa. Today we are in Ardahan. Soon we will go to the beautiful districts of our Ardahan and Kars one by one. Tomorrow we are in Kars. The day after, we are in Sarıkamış. The day after that, we are in Erzurum. Next week, we are in Konya, Mersin, and Kahramanmaraş. We will continue to make the voices of pensioners and workers heard, to seek the rights of the orphan and the poor, and to support our farmers and beekeepers." he declared.

"ERDOĞAN IS A FRIEND OF THE RICH"

Concluding his remarks by attacking President Erdoğan, Özel noted the following:

'Erdoğan is a friend of the rich. He finds money for the 'gang of five' and the '40 thieves' that he cannot find for retirees. Thirty-seven of his 43 wealthy contractors did not pay a single cent in taxes last year, while the people of Ardahan here have been suffering from paying taxes. Taxes on electricity, taxes on water, taxes on fuel, taxes on bread, taxes on clothing, taxes on stationery; the total of these indirect taxes is 67 percent. You also deducted 20 percent from their salaries, making it 87 percent. What did the companies pay? You said 13 percent, but you collected 11 percent in taxes. From the big holdings, the big rich, the 40 thieves, 11 percent; from the poor, the retiree, the laborer, 87 percent. Damn such a system. We will change this system. We will establish your government, the people's government, the government of the retiree, the laborer, the farmer, and those engaged in animal husbandry. Are you ready to establish the people's government? Are you ready? You will see, we will succeed together; we will win, we will win. When we win, the poor will win. When we win, the needy will win. The government of the well-off and the thick-necked is ending. The government of the people of Ardahan is coming, the government of the nation and the people is coming. I greet you all with love. May you grant me your blessing. You waited in this cold, you gathered in this cold. We love you all, we love Ardahan, we love our country. We will succeed together. I greet you all with respect. Thank you, long live.'

News Source: 12punto