Fatih Erbakan criticizes minimum wage: He gave a figure

New Welfare Party Chairman Fatih Erbakan attended the Provincial Presidents Meeting held at the party headquarters.

Erbakan made statements regarding the agenda before the meeting.

Reminding that it has been one year since the AKP announced its new economic management, Erbakan said that in Treasury and Finance Minister Mehmet Şimşek’s performance record for the last year, the exchange rate has increased by 100 percent, inflation by 75 percent, and interest rates by 488 percent.

"INFLATION ON ONE SIDE, TAXES ON THE OTHER..."

Erbakan said, “Bread has jumped from 4 liras to 10 liras. The cost of living for a single worker has jumped from 13,000 liras to 24,000 liras. The exchange rate has jumped from 18 liras to 32 liras. Fuel has jumped from 20 liras to 42 liras. I am expressing the changes in the last year. Of course, when the economic management under the Minister of Finance took the wheel, that is, around this time last year, inflation was 38.1 percent; today, May inflation figures were announced. It has reached 75.45 percent. The policy rate rose from 8.5 percent to 50 percent. That is, an increase of approximately 6 times, a 488 percent increase occurred. In addition to this, because the bitter pill is constantly being forced upon low-income earners and citizens, there has been a 120 percent increase in taxes in the last year. When we add the newly invented taxes, the citizen's tax burden has increased by 200 percent in the last year. In other words, with inflation on one side and taxes on the other, the citizen is being squeezed like a lemon and is running dry.”

"GROWTH" CRITICISM

Touching upon the TUIK data, Erbakan stated that according to this, the Turkish economy has been growing for the last 15 quarters, saying, “From the 3rd quarter of 2020 to the 1st quarter of 2024, it continued to grow uninterruptedly for exactly 15 quarters. And according to the latest figures announced, we grew by 5.7 percent in the first quarter of 2024. What do these growth figures show? Of course, they show nothing for the citizen, for the nation. Because this growth is unfortunately growth through impoverishment for the nation. The tradesman, the civil servant, the retiree, the worker, the low-income earner, the farmer, and the villager are experiencing nothing but shrinkage, not growth. When we look at the main item of this growth, we see that the construction sector has the largest share with 11 percent. So, I express this with regret. The government's usual classic, growth has been with concrete and cement. And of course, this growth has not been reflected to the citizen. Industry is in 4th place in growth. Agriculture is in 5th place in growth. In other words, industry, technology, agriculture, and livestock production unfortunately have very small shares in growth. As I said, Turkey is growing with concrete and cement, and this growth is in no way reflected to the citizen; the citizen's economy continues to shrink.”

In his speech, New Welfare Party leader Erbakan also touched upon the May inflation figures, stating that Turkey is experiencing its 4th highest inflation period in the last 60 years. Erbakan noted that Turkey ranks first in Europe and third in the world in inflation.

THE SITUATION OF RETIREES

Noting that the 3,000 lira holiday bonus is less than 100 dollars, Erbakan said, “It is not possible for a retiree to sacrifice an animal for Eid. The prices of sacrificial animals have skyrocketed, and today, aid associations, NGOs, and those involved in sacrifice organizations clearly state that sacrifice orders and slaughter have decreased dramatically this year compared to last year. Because it is not possible for millions of people to afford a sacrifice under these conditions. Furthermore, of course, both this bonus should have been increased, and the retiree salary should have been brought to at least the minimum wage level, and the minimum wage should have been pulled to a level above the hunger threshold of 20,000 liras. Of course, besides the retiree and the minimum wage earner, as we said a moment ago, unfortunately, the producer is not on the government's agenda either. The fresh tea purchase price was announced as 17 liras, and tea producers are rebelling. They say; the production cost per kilo of fresh tea is already 18 liras. If you give a base price of 17 liras to a product that costs 18 liras, you are essentially saying 'do not produce, if you produce, you will go bankrupt and lose money.' They had a demand of 25 liras. This was not met, and even that is low, but unfortunately, it was announced as 17 liras. With the support payment per kilo, it will be 19 liras. Also, when this inflation and input costs are taken into account, the tea producer will either lose money or break even. In such a situation, of course, picking, collecting, and producing tea becomes completely meaningless and illogical.”

“THIS MEANS CRUSHING THE FARMER"

Speaking about the grain purchase prices announced by the Turkish Grain Board (TMO) two days ago, Erbakan used the following expressions:

“According to the prices announced for bread wheat, durum wheat, and barley, the hike rates deemed appropriate for our grain producers vary between 2.82 percent and 16.77 percent. When it is taken into account that an additional 750 liras per ton will be given for these, the hike rate comes out between 13.38 percent and 25.75 percent, meaning the maximum hike rate to be given for grain products is 25.75 percent. Well, let me tell you the agricultural products price index of TUIK for the last year again, 60.7 percent. The agricultural products price index and the agricultural input price index have increased by 49.9 percent in the last year, meaning the farmer's input costs are increasing by 49.9 percent, and you are giving a 13 to 25 percent hike to the farmer's wheat and barley. This means crushing the farmer, just like the crushing of the retiree. In other words, only the farmer, the villager, and the grain producer continue to be crushed in this market. It is as if millions of farmers are being told 'do not plant, if you plant, we will punish you.'”

MINIMUM WAGE CALL

Arguing that the hunger threshold has reached the 20,000 lira level, Fatih Erbakan noted that another hike should be made to the minimum wage in July and it should be pulled to at least the 25,000 lira level. Erbakan pointed out that the lowest retiree salary should be equalized to the minimum wage level.

NORMALIZATION IN POLITICS

In response to a question regarding Erdoğan meeting with politicians within the scope of 'normalization in politics', Erbakan replied, "We, as the New Welfare Party, always express our view that politics should be conducted in a gentlemanly manner, that it should be conducted within the rules of courtesy, and that this is not a war. If there is a request from any party or the government wing regarding us, of course, we will also meet and express our ideas."

News Source: 12punto