Erdoğan pledges to address soaring cost of living

ANKARA

President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan has vowed to tackle the "escalating cost of living caused by global crises," pledging to find solutions to alleviate the burden on the Turkish population.

"We are aware that the cost of living has been suffocating our nation recently. As we have solved every problem of our country, I hope we will solve this problem again," Erdoğan stated in a video message released on the occasion of the 22nd anniversary of the establishment of his Justice and Development Party (AKP).

The AKP was founded on Aug. 14, 2001, under the leadership of Erdoğan and the reformist faction of the Virtue Party (FP) of Necmettin Erbakan, while a second founding group consisted of members of the Motherland Party (ANAP).

Erdogan emphasized the government's responsibility to enhance the quality of life for all segments of society, highlighting the plight of employees and retirees.

"While we are dealing with this heavy burden, we will not neglect anyone's rights and will not leave anyone's expectations unanswered," Erdoğan said, referencing both the ongoing economic struggles and the monumental task of rebuilding cities ravaged by the recent devastating earthquakes. "We have problems, but thankfully we have much greater opportunities than them. No one will be able to stop their working cogs."

Earthquake-related spending from the central government budget will be around 762 billion Turkish Liras, Vice President Cevdet Yılmaz told reporters last week during his visit to the southeastern province of Gaziantep.

“On top of that, there will be other spending, such as allocations to local governments, the employment agency İşkur and the social security agency SGK. We calculate that the overall spending will be around 1 trillion liras this year,” Yılmaz said.

The first estimates put the earthquake damage at $104 billion, the vice president noted.

Looking ahead to the upcoming local elections in March next year, Erdoğan also promised a commitment to preparing for the electoral process, with a particular focus on "revealing the true nature of opposition candidates who attempt to conceal their failures."

Erdoğan expressed his belief in the nation's discernment, stating, "I wholeheartedly believe that our nation, which entrusted us with the responsibility of governing the country in the legislative and executive branch, will show the same foresight in the municipalities."