CHP Deputy President and Party Spokesman Faik Öztrak delivered a press conference regarding the latest main political and economic news in Turkey. As such, he gave detailed information especially with respect to the following:

• New legislation in Parliament
• Budget deficit and growing unemployment
• Crisis of all Turkish people
• Gap between the government and the Turkish people
• Upcoming Medium-Term Programme
• Consequences of Personal Regime

With respect to new enacted legislation in Parliament, Öztrak highlighted the necessity to enact a legislation regarding teachers. According to this legislation, the objective will be to grant an annual bonus during Teachers’ Day. Öztrak also indicated the need for teachers to be liberated from all kind of pressure. Öztrak underlined that the budget deficit has increased by 102% which represents two times more from last year. He also noted that unemployment figures have again reached a two-digit number with 10.2%. As for youth unemployment, he added that it is above 19%. He underlined that the current policies have failed to alleviate these stringent issues and that both unemployment and the budget deficit have constantly increased.

In that context, he added that the current economic crisis is not that of just the government but millions of Turkish citizens who are unable to make ends meet. This crisis concerns all wholive in economic hardship, who have seen a significant increase in the price of primary products such as eggs, water and bread as well as electricity, natural gas and other products. This crisis is also that of ordinary workers, SME owners, farmers, etc.

He added that with this developing crisis, the goverment seems to have lost contact with reality and orindary people. As means of an example, he added that a few days ago, there was an announcement regarding austerity measures. On the other side, public-private partnership projects will continue. He noted that such projects are those which concern specifically pro-government holdings which continue to benefit, even under crisis situation.

Regarding the upcoming Medium-Term Programme for the Turkish economy, Öztrak noted that the government has indicated that it would be revealed on 20 September, which is 10 days late. He stressed that the new economic model which has been spelled out by the government has not contributed in any shape or form in reducing the current negative climate in main indicators of the Turkish economy. As such, he noted that the Turkish Lira has ever since continued to lose value and interest rates surged. In that respect, uncertainties continue to persist. He noted the urgency of sound political and legal reforms in this regard in order to achieve concrete results.

Finally, Öztrak reminded that since the 24 June presidential elections, the country’s political system has entered a personal regime where promises had been given that markups, interest rates would decrease and that the economy would be strengthened. He highlighted that the contrary has happened and that since the beginning of the personal regime, there has been the largest increase in interest rates in AKP government history. He noted that such policies have all but led to foreign investors leaving the country and contributed in creating a climate where the economy is slowing down.