CHP leader Kılıçdaroğlu slams government’s agricultural policies

MANİSA

The government’s policies are the biggest obstacle in front of the country’s agricultural producers, main opposition Republican People’s Party (CHP) leader Kemal Kılıçdaroğlu said on Sept. 28, promising to “make farmers the masters of this country.”

“In an environment in which everybody wins, the farmers, producers are the only ones losing,” Kılıçdaroğlu said at the “Grape Rally” organized by the party in the western province of Manisa’s Akhisar district.

“The price of grape was 6 Turkish Liras two years ago, now it is 4 liras. The producers cannot receive the real value of their efforts,” he added.

Kılıçdaroğlu argued that the Justice and Development Party’s (AKP) agricultural polices destroyed tobacco productions and grape production is next.

“We import agricultural products from 126 countries,” the main opposition leader said in his criticism.

“As if we do not have any lands in this country, they rented a 780-kilometer-square land in Sudan. Each and every farmer in Turkey has debts to banks,” Kılıçdaroğlu said.

The CHP leader also criticized the government for selling cheap diesel to yachts.

“Yachts buy diesel for 1.5 liras per liter, while you pay 5 liras if you buy it for tractors. That is unfair.”