‘Our business is closed for 14 months; I sold my house, I will now sell my car’

* Photo: Ayhan Mehmet / AA

Click to read the article in Turkish

"The unemployed are at home, shopkeepers are at home, but factories are open. Nothing has changed. They have confined us to our houses, while factories are operating the entire day. Workers keep going to work by taking the bus, subway or metrobus. It is only us that are not open.

"There are 650 places offering alcoholic beverages in Kadıköy. At least 10-12 people work in every business. They have never given it any thought how these people will make ends meet."

Kadıköy Shopkeepers Association (KADIDER) Chair Tuncay Savaşlı, who is himself a shopkeeper in İstanbul's Kadıköy, summarizes the situation in Turkey amid the novel coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic in these words. Just like thousands of shopkeepers driven to bankruptcy with their businesses shut down, he also has economic concerns.

Deprived of a financial aid from the government, shopkeepers in Turkey are getting more and more indebted with each passing day; they are worried about their future and losing their hopes.

Talking about his own situation, Savaşlı says, "Shopkeepers have been going through tough times in the last year." He mentions that there are some businesses that have never been opened in this process on the grounds that "bar-disco" is written in their operating licenses.

He notes that even though they are closed, the state is still collecting taxes from the shopkeepers: "The government tells us, 'There is the outbreak, I have shut you down, but you will keep paying me taxes'."

Tuncay Savaşlı then moves on to elaborate on what they are required to pay to the state in this process:

• Entertainment tax; solid waste, garbage and cleaning tax; stamp duty; withholding tax of the Social Security Institution (SGK); rent withholding tax; corporate tax; advance tax.

He underlines that occupational unions as well as shopkeepers and commerce chambers keep requesting payments from them: "Even they are getting their subscription fees." In fact, the Professional Society of Singers (MÜYORBİR) and the Musical Work Owners' Society of Turkey (MESAM) say that the payments of royalties are still ongoing.

'The state act like we were open'

According to Savaşlı, the lockdown has changed nothing in their lives in terms of making 'payments', he raises concerns that the state is treating them as if their businesses were open. He briefly adds:

"Everyone, from the state to occupational chambers, wants their money and gets it. No one tells us something like 'Your shops are closed, you are having a difficult time. We won't receive this or that payment.'

"Last month, they gave permission for a very short period of time. We opened our shops with this practice of plus hour, there was still a time restriction. How much can you work until 7 p.m. in the entertainment business? To be honest, we were losing less money when we were closed.

"When we reopened our business, we called our personnel back. Every employee costs around 5-6 thousand lira. You must employ 5-6 personnel such as a dishwasher, cook, bellboy, waitress so that you can offer services. We opened our business, we incurred losses and closed it again.

'Aid is like a drop in a glass of water'

"And aids... They are not likely to give a lifeline support. It is like a drop in a glass of water. They call the aid a loan. So, there is no financial aid.

"We have been incurring losses for the past year. Some people have lost all their savings. We ask the bank for a loan, the bank does not want to take risks, because we have a bad record now.

"We have been unable to pay their loans or our cheques in this period. When this is the case, the bank is not willing to give a loan.

"For instance, the state restructured the debts a few months ago. So, this was not a new postponement for the ones who could not pay their debts. A friend of mine could not pay the amount that she was required to pay in February. The state told her that if she paid up all her debt in March, she could benefit from the restructuring reduction. I mean, how could a person who could not pay the first instalment a month ago pay it up a month later?

"We know, the government does not have money. But if they do not offer any help, they should at least not pose an obstacle.

"Everyone has been depressed in this period. All shopkeepers' relations with their families and relatives have soured. They have been in a deadlock. Concerns and worries were already there, they have reached the highest level with these debts. We are going through really tough times.

"Most of us have closed down their businesses, they are trying to transfer them, but no one buys. Because banks ask for high interest rates. When this is the case, people do not make investments.

'Closures for the show'

"The way things stand, I do not think that we will be opened after the Ramadan Feast, either. Everywhere is open, but the places offering alcoholic beverages are closed. It is as if we were the reason behind the virus, behind the pandemic. You have confined us to home, but all factories are operating. Workers go to work by bus, subway and metrobus. Everywhere is open.

"The only places that are not open are gyms, saunas and pools. There are 650 places offering alcoholic beverages in Kadıköy. You have closed them all. You have closed the swimming pools and saunas just for the show of it. How many gyms could there be in a district?

"Look, we hear news of business owners', musicians' suicides everyday. According to what we hear, over 80 musicians committed suicide. These people were doing stage work for 150-200 lira a day. They came from their hometowns to the places where the entertainment sector was, trying to earn money by playing their instruments. Now, we hear of a suicide every week.

"If the state does not put its shopkeepers or citizens under protection, this is a normal situation. This is inevitable.

"Let me give you an example: A friend of mine who has a bar in both Turkey and Germany said the following about his bar in Germany: 'I wish they'll never open it; I couldn't make so much money when open.' Can you imagine the government support to shopkeepers in Germany?

'It has been 14 months...'

"But, when you come to Turkey, they give an amount that accounts for 2 percent of half your turnover. They give 1,000 - 1,500 lira. And that money is given from the Unemployment Fund that we fill ourselves.

"The state has fallen short about this issue, it has not given the necessary aid. There are at least 10-15 employees in every business. What will workers eat? Most of them have kids, they have to pay rent... Several people sold their house and car. I sold my house, I will now sell my car. I tell the bank to give me a loan, it says, 'You have no income, how can I?'

"I have a friend who has to pay a rent of 47 thousand lira. It has been 14 months... But the state has still not said that he can open his business. It has also not made a statement about why he does not open.

"We are among the businesses that pay the highest amount of taxes. But we are treated unfairly..." (HA/SD)