* Photo: Anadolu Agency (AA) - File
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Opposition İYİ Party Chair Meral Akşener spoke at the weekly group meeting of her party in capital Ankara today (March 23).
Recalling that she visited İstanbul's Şile district and Turkey's western province of Aydın last week, Akşener shared her impressions:
"The government's fairytales of growth have not touched the people of Şile and Aydın even lightly. A fellow baker in Şile says, 'We cannot find sugar'. A fellow pharmacist says, 'We cannot find several medications. Prices are constantly increasing, patients lash out at us'. Would health be bought on credit? But new pages are added to the credit books of pharmacies.
"A deli shop owner says, 'The shop's daily expenses are 800 lira. But I could sell only 250 grams of cheese until this hour'. He cannot pay his rent for 4 months. He asks how to keep his head above the water".
Sharing the remarks of shop owners with İYİ Party politicians and members, Merak Akşener referred to President and ruling Justice and Development Party (AKP) Chair Recep Tayyip Erdoğan and said:
These questions are not to me, but to you, Mr. Erdoğan. You are comfortable in your palace. The people of the palace, receiving five, ten salaries a month, are comfortable at their houses. But these people are awaiting an answer. These people are seeking a remedy. These people are suffering, Mr. Erdoğan.
Unemployment, poverty, high prices...
Talking further about Aydın, which "has several means from tourism to agriculture", Akşener raised concerns that unemployment, poverty and prices have been increasing incrementally in the province:
"The cost of 25 kilograms of seeds is 350 lira while it is sold for 1,250 lira; when this is the case, our farmers turn on their lands.
While the production costs are constantly increasing, support is given like alms, which makes our farmers miserable. While cotton producers are abandoned to their problems, it makes our farmers miserable that cotton is imported from Syria.
'An impertent mentality of governance'
Further in her statement, İYİ Party Chair Meral Akşener also addressed Turkey's Minister of Treasury and Finance Nureddin Nebati and his remarks to foreign real estate investors in France last week.
In his speech addressing the investors in France, Finance Minister Nebati briefly said, "You have a problem? Just relax. You can reach us easily. One of my favorite things is dealing with the bureaucracy and legislation which make life difficult for investors ... Let's fight it together ... We will tear down the bureaucracy. Chill, we have the President behind us ... We will change the legislation, too. With the Presidential system, we can act quickly."
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Speaking within this context, Meral Akşener said that "she could not believe her ears when she heard these remarks".
"And, to top it all off... To whom did he say it? To foreign investors," said İYİ Party leader Akşener, adding, "The history of the Republic of Turkey has never seen such a scandal. The history of the Republic of Turkey has never seen such impertinence. The history of the Republic of Turkey has never witnessed such an impertinent mentality of governance".
According to Akşener, "this statement is a confession of the fact that there is a state crisis in our country." She explained:
"In fact, Minister Nebati says, 'We don't recognize laws or regulations. In the event that you make investments in Turkey and if you have any problems with the laws or institutions of the Republic of Turkey, come to us. We will eliminate all legal conditions on your behalf. So, don't address an institutional state in Turkey, directly come to people and address them".
Commenting on Nebati's remarks further, Akşener said, "There cannot be an expression or description that would more clearly manifest the monstrosity of this monstrous system that we live in". (AS/SD)
