MoT Covers Up Impact of Crisis

Revolutionary Workers' Unions Confederation (DİSK) chair Süleyman Çelebi has reacted to the recent declaration by the State Minister responsible for the Treasury, Mehmet Şimşek, who dismissed any effect of the global crisis in Turkey.

Çelebi said Şimşek is trying to cover up the impact of the ongoing crisis. During a meeting at the Anatolian Tigers Businessmen Association (ASKON), Şimşek said, "Households are in good condition. Banks are in good condition. The private sector is holding on."

The same day, the Turkish Institute of Statistics (TÜİK) revealed that in February industrial production has gone down by a quarter with respect to the previous year. On another occasion, TÜİK said the number of unemployed has risen to 3 million 274 thousand people as of December 2008.   

"This discourse stems from a culture of charity. This approach feeds upon the poverty, unemployment and lack of social security for the people and sees this as a guarantee for its political existence. It's understood that the government won't intervene until the crisis threatens its own power," said Çelebi in a written statement.

Last month, Şimşek received angry reactions when he stated that the cause of rising unemployment was the increase in the number of women searching for jobs.(EÜ/AGÜ)