Kılıçdaroğlu visits quake-hit Malatya as presidential candidate

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Kemal Kılıçdaroğlu, the candidate for president of the Nation Alliance, visited Malatya today (March 10), one of the provinces hit heavily by the February 6 Maraş earthquakes.

This was the fourth visit of Kılıçdaroğlu to the earthquake region and his second visit to Malatya.

The presidential candidate met the business people in the city who told him that the most important problem was that the workers, the qualified workforce employed in the factories had, to a large extent, left Malatya.

Addressing journalists after the meeting, Kılıçdaroğlu argued that positive discrimination should be implemented in terms of taxes, that there should be a tax advantage in order for the qualified workers to return.

The joint presidential candidate of the Nation Alliance told the reporters that he promised the businesspeople that no taxes would be deducted from the wages of the workers in the earthquake-hit regions, at least for a certain period of time, when he is elected the president. He also invited the government to start doing this earlier.

"We will purchase all tents and containers produced"

There are severe problems in rural areas; some producers have remaining unsold products, the CHP leader informed. Milk producers are complaining that they cannot sell their milk and that they cannot find buyers.

The public institutions should purchase these products, Kılıçdaroğlu said. "When will the state serve as a social state, if not now?" he asked.

Yet another important problem is in relation to tents and containers, stated the joint candidate. "Whoever, among tent or container producers says that they cannot sell them should contact me, or our metropolitan municipality mayors. We will purchase the containers, and the tents immediately and bring them to this region," said Kılıçdaroğlu.

The leader also called for the loan repayments of the shopkeepers to be postponed and argued that no interest should be charged. (HA/PE)