Economic crisis reflection of political crisis in Turkey: CHP leader

BOLU

The current economic crisis in Turkey is a reflection of the political crisis, main opposition Republican People’s Party (CHP) leader Kemal Kılıçdaroğlu has said, criticizing President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan for playing down Turkey’s current economic woes.

“Turkey is in the middle of an economic crisis. The current crisis it is facing is worse than the one in 2001,” Kılıçdaroğlu said on Sept. 28, speaking at his party’s gathering in the northern province of Bolu’s Abant district.

The CHP leader slammed the AKP for heading the country to an economic crisis after 16 years in power. The AKP came to power after an economic crisis in 2001.

He accused the AKP of dividing the country into two, with one side being “close circles to the presidency” and the other being “the people.” He stressed the CHP stood by the people.

Kılıçdaroğlu claimed the president and his close circles were unaffected by the economic crisis, which he said is affecting the ordinary people the most.

He stressed the economic crisis was “caused by a political crisis,” warning that Turkey could face hunger in the future as a result of the economic crisis.

Criticizing the recently rolled out new economic program of not being consistent, the CHP leader said it would not help Turkey recover.

He further accused the AKP of appointing former MPs who fail to win seats in parliament as ambassadors to Turkey’s foreign missions, stressing that it violated the program’s promise to “recruit people based on competency and performance.”

Kılıçdaroğlu also urged Erdoğan to return a plane gifted by Qatar’s emir.

He also said government officials were continuously travelling to Berlin, London and New York to “beg for money.”