‘Turkey’s Economic Reform Package is a declaration of bankruptcy’

* Photo: Anadolu Agency (AA)

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Republican People's Party (AKP) Vice Chair and Spokesperson Faik Öztrak addressed the reporters about the agenda of the CHP Central Executive Committee meeting in Ankara yesterday (March 15).

Criticizing the Economic Reform Package unveiled by President and ruling Justice and Development Party (AKP) Chair Recep Tayyip Erdoğan on Friday (March 12), CHP's Faik Öztrak briefly said:

"They made preparations for this document for four months. The content was copied from previous plans and programs.

"Presenting such a document to our country struggling with such a serious crisis is both an insult to the country's esteemed bureaucracy and a mockery of our nation's mind. In fact, to me, this document is a declaration of the 'my person' government's bankruptcy."

'Only half loaf of bread for shop owners'

Further in his speech, Öztrak noted that the package "offers nothing for workers, unemployed people, farmers and pensioners."

Referring to President Erdoğan's announcement that they will be "exempting approximately 850,000 tradespeople subject to small business taxation rules from the income tax," Öztrak said, "As for the shop owners, only a joke came out of the package for them."

According to Öztrak, without the related arrangement to be introduced as part of the package, the total income tax to be levied from these tradespeople would be 228 million 883 lira by the end of this year.

"When we divide it among 850 thousand shop owners, it means 269 lira per shop owner. And when we divide it by days, it means 74 kurush per day. Bread is sold for 1 lira 75 kurush in a market in Ankara. [The Metropolitan Municipality's enterprise] Halk Ekmek sells it for 1 lira 25 kurush. In other words, what they announced as good news to shop owners does not even account for a half loaf of bread," Faik Öztrak protested.

Referring to the small-scale free bread campaigns termed as "bread on a hanger", Öztrak added, "Those who see our nation worthy of bread on a hanger have begrudged our shop owners even a half bread."

Parliamentary question by Özel

On the other side, CHP Parliamentary Group Deputy Chair Özgür Özel has submitted a Parliamentary question to be answered by Minister of Health Fahrettin Koca and asked why the demands of healthcare workers struggling against the pandemic have not been met by the Ministry.

Underlining that health workers have been selflessly working amid a ban on annual leave, resignation and retirement, Özel has raised concerns that no improvement has been made in their employee personal rights.

Adressing Minister Koca, Özel has asked, "How many healthcare workers have caught COVID-19 and how many of them have lost their lives during the pandemic? How many healthcare workers have been unable to work due to COVID-19? Will you make any initiative to repay the healthcare workers by improving their employee personal rights? Or will you keep on saying, 'We cannot repay the healthcare workers'?"

'Shop owners awaiting one man's decision'

Holding a press conference at the Parliament, CHP Zonguldak MP Ünal Demirtaş has also noted that the short-time working allowance should be paid until the end of 2021. Reminding the public that the practice will end on March 31, Demirtaş has briefly said:

"1 million 300 thousand people get a short-time working allowance, they are trying to make ends meet with 2 thousand 2146 lira.

"Businesses are also trying to keep their head above the water with the short-time working allowance given to their employees. 1 million 300 thousand people, shop owners and small and medium sized enterprises are waiting for the decision of the one man." (DŞ/SD)