* Photo: Güven Yılmaz - Ankara / AA
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Republican People's Party (CHP) Chair Kemal Kılıçdaroğlu spoke about the economic crisis at his weekly group meeting today (April 5).
Marking the April 5 Lawyers' Day as well, the main opposition leader said, "There is the judge, the prosecution and the defense. The judiciary consists of these three elements. Lawyers are concerned about judicial independence, they are concerned about their wages".
Kılıçdaroğlu said, "A handful of people have no troubles while 84 million do" and referred to the increasing prices in Turkey as follows:
'TurkStat doesn't tell the truth'
"News of price increases have been everywhere, except for the pool media. But everyone knows that there is a fire in kitchens and warehouses.
"Price increases have been raining on us. But the Turkish Statistical Institute (TurkStat) made a statement. It said that consumer prices increased by 61 percent and producer prices increased by 115 percent. TurkStat does not tell the truth. We know that they are much higher.
"According to the Inflation Research Group (ENAG), the annual inflation rate is 143 percent. Yes, true. The price of potatoes has increased by 207 percent, that of cucumbers by 193 percent, aubergines by 185 percent, margarin by 160 percent... Is 61 percent true? Bridge fees have increased by 221 percent, diesel prices by 210 percent, LPG by 193 percent, gasoline by 161 percent... The true number is 143 percent".
'Inflation is the most unfair and cruel tax'
Criticizing the government for calling on citizens to make sacrifices amid the high inflation rates, CHP Chair Kılıçdaroğlu said, "Inflation is the most unfair and cruelest tax. All economy books write this".
According to Kılıçdaroğlu, President and Justice and Development Party (AKP) Chair Recep Tayyip Erdoğan is responsible for the price hikes: "Will we hold the grocer, taxi driver, bagel seller, industrialist accountable? Who governs the country? Who sits at the very top of the one-person government? Erdoğan does... Price increase plus price increase plus price increase equals Recep Tayyip Erdoğan. This is the reality of life".
'203-billion tender to 5 companies'
Referring to the pro-government conglomerates which have been receiving significant public tenders during the AKP government, CHP Chair Kılıçdaroğlu raised concerns that works worth of 203 billion lira were given to these five companies in the past 18 years.
Addressing prosecutors as well, Kemal Kılıçdaroğlu said, "Why don't you look into the incidents of bribery? Five people were given 203-people tenders. The names of these five people are in the world literature as the biggest five companies receiving public tenders".
Criticizing the build-operate-transfer model used in government projects and the payments made on the basis of guaranteed numbers, CHP's Kemal Kılıçdaroğlu also lashed out at the authorities for drawing up contracts that foresee additional payments to companies depending on the inflation rate in the US if the currency specified in the contract is US dollar.
"Tell me, is there such a tender in the world? Is it a colonized state here," he asked, criticizing Erdoğan further. (AS/SD)
