Main opposition leader Kılıçdaroğlu to run for President ‘if alliance accepts’

* Photo: Anadolu Agency (AA) - Archive

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Main opposition Republican People's Party (CHP) Chair Kemal Kılıçdaroğlu answered the questions of Candaş Tolga Işık on Haber Global news channel yesterday evening (December 14). To the question of "Do you want to be the President," he said, "I cannot speak on behalf of the alliance; but I will be honored if the alliance accepts it as well".

CHP's Kemal Kılıçdaroğlu was also asked a question about the statement of Meral Akşener, the leader of the İYİ Party from the opposition Nation's Alliance who announced that she would like to be the Prime Minister of Turkey after the Presidential Government System is abandoned and a Reinforced Parliamentary System is adopted in the country.

Kılıçdaroğlu welcomed this statement and said that Meral Akşener would befit the position of a Prime Minister.

Noting that the issue of candidacy has never been discussed among the Nation's Alliance, of which the main opposition CHP is the biggest partner, Kılıçdaroğlu said that they defend democracy and therefore they will give a decision by negotiating and announce their decision.

TurkStat

On the day when the Turkish Statistical Institute (TurkStat) announced the inflation figures in early December, CHP Chair Kemal Kılıçdaroğlu, accompanied by a delegation from his party, went in front of the TurkStat; however, they were not let in the building.

Talking about the TurkStat yesterday, Kılıçdaroğlu underlined that "when the TurkStat shows the inflation figures lower than they are in reality, a lower increase in wages will be the case for pensioners, civil servants and workers" as the official inflation rates are taken as a basis.

Central Bank

Ahead of the meeting of the Monetary Policy Committee of the Central Bank tomorrow (December 16) and amid expectations that the policy rate might be cut further, Kemal Kılıçdaroğlu said:

"The Central Bank has drifted apart from its duties; it has faced interference, its governors have been frequently changed. I have seen that its prestige has been undermined. He needs to say why [former Governor of Central Bank] Naci Ağbal has been removed from office."

Recalling that the Central Bank is responsible for price stability and Turkish Lira, he said, "You can give an instruction to Central Bank. But it will decide how it will be decreased by intervening with its own tools. You say someone else should sell the 128 billion dollars outside its will." 

A four-stage plan

According to Kemal Kılıçdaroğlu, "four stages should be followed in order for Turkey to be back on its feet again". He said:

There will be democracy, there will be safety of life and property. There is cash outflow, illegally... From our businessworld... They take the money they earn abroad. Because they do not trust the government. The wealth of most of the ones in cooperation with the current government is in England. You should first give credence. You should produce. Turkey will face a food crisis. Will the agricultural fields be planted after the increase in fertilizer prices?

Arguing that "Turkey will be unable to find a country to import wheat from," he said that the third and fourth stages of his proposed program is building a solid social state and ensuring sustainability.

"Our number one problem is the existing system," said the CHP Chair in reference to the Presidential Government System, underlining that "one cannot entrust the state to what will come out of between the two lips of a single person" and that "one person does not know everything."

Promise of expropriation

"One of the first things that we will do is to convert them all into Turkish Lira," said Kılıçdaroğlu, explaining that "all investments will be nationalized" and noting that "the nationalization of investments is not against the law." He added, "No court would accept misuse. We worked on this issue. The Eurasia Tunnel [in Marmara Sea], [İstanbul] Airport, [Third] Bosphorus Bridge... Whatever was done with dollars, we will expropriate them all."

Criticizing the tenders held in US dollars or Euro, Kılıçdaroğlu asked, "Who is content with this? The ones doing business with the state in dollars are. 84 million people work for a handful of people." (TP/SD)