CHP tells voters to ‘mind economy’

ISTANBUL

The citizens who will vote in the upcoming local elections should take the economic issues into consideration, main opposition Republican People’s Party (CHP) leader Kemal Kılıçdaroğlu has said.

 “Turkey has entered a critical period. We need to overcome these difficulties with the culture of democracy. We do not have the right to blame anyone for giving support to the AKP [the ruling Justice and Development Party], yet we need to stop and think for a moment if our citizens are forming lines to buy onions after 17 years,” Kılıçdaroğlu said in a meeting with the representatives of NGOs and trade associations, in metropolis Istanbul.

“Let alone the government’s debts, the citizens are head over heels in debt,” he added.

The party leader also reiterated the privatizations of state’s factories and said Turkey’s national tank factory’s “turn has come as well.”

“Our citizens should question these. We need to associate with fair power. If the power is unjust, then tyranny takes place. It is our duty to stand against tyranny,” he said.

Kılıçdaroğlu also underlined CHP’s pledge to increase the minimum wage to 2,200 Turkish Liras (around $408) and said the party’s municipalities have been paying their staff from this wage level.

“During the budget talks, I suggested that minimum wage should be 2,200 liras in 2019. I said [CHP’s] municipalities will follow this. Then, the minimum wage was determined as 2,020 liras (roughly $375). Our municipalities have been paying wages from 2,200 liras since January,” he said.

“We do not intend to play with anyone’s bread and butter. Those saying that 2,200 liras is redundant should try to make ends meet for a month from this figure,” he added.

Unemployment levels will rise even more, according to Kılıçdaroğlu because “the crisis has just hit the real sector.”