Finance minister hosts CHP officials to discuss policies

ANKARA

Treasury and Finance Minister Mehmet Şimşek met with main opposition Republican People's Party (CHP) deputy leader for economic affairs Yalçın Karatepe on June 24, marking a move in the ongoing "softening" and "normalization" period in the Turkish politics.

The meeting also included CHP secretary-general Selin Sayek Böke and deputy leader Volkan Demir.

The discussions were expected to focus on what Karatepe described as "impoverishing economic policies," with specific proposals to increase the minimum wage and pensions.

CHP leader Özgür Özel had earlier said the party delegation aimed to challenge the government's policies rather than collaborating on drafting programs during the discussions with Şimşek.

This meeting is part of a broader series of dialogues initiated by recent engagements between President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan and Özel.

The duo met at the ruling Justice and Development Party (AKP) headquarters on May 2. This was the first direct engagement between AKP and CHP leaders since 2016. Erdoğan later paid a return visit to Özel on June 11.

During the talks, Özel said he conveyed his concerns about the minimum wage and pensions.

"I said, 'Are you looking for a source, let's find it together,'" Özel stated at an event in Amasya on June 13, criticizing the indirect tax system, which taxes expenditures rather than income or gains.

Karatepe and his team were anticipated to present proposals to advocate for a "fairer tax system."

In an interview with daily Cumhuriyet, Karatepe also emphasized the need for an extra addition to salaries, aiming to protect citizens from potential exchange rate and price fluctuations.

Following the Erdoğan-Özel meetings, a series of dialogues have continued, with various ministers engaging their CHP counterparts.

These included talks between Environment, Urbanization and Climate Change Minister Mehmet Özhaseki with CHP's Gökan Zeybek, Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan with CHP's İlhan Uzgel and Defense Minister Yaşar Güler with CHP's Yankı Bağcıoğlu.

The latest of these meetings occurred on June 10 between Interior Minister Ali Yerlikaya and CHP’s Murat Bakan.

The dialogues are labeled as "softening" by Erdoğan and "normalization" by Özel.

Media reports said the contact between Erdoğan and Özel will continue. The president has invited the CHP leader to a ceremony in Nicosia on July 20 to commemorate the anniversary of Türkiye's 1974 military operation in Cyprus.

Özel expressed a positive response, indicating another potential meeting on the island next month.

Erdoğan's discussions with Özel primarily focused on his AKP’s long-pending proposal for a new constitution. The initiative, lacking a parliamentary majority, needs support from at least 37 opposition MPs to advance the proposal to a referendum.

Meanwhile, Özel has continued to spotlight the economic hardships faced by citizens.