AKP’S 100 days of economic slaughter

Kubilay said: “The AKP has been exploiting the resources of this country for 5,850 days, not just 100 days”.

HDP (Peoples’ Democratic Party) Labor, Economy and Social Policy spokesperson and deputy co-chair, Günay Kubilay, evaluated the 100-day executive program announced by Turkish President Tayyip Erdoğan on 3 August.

Kubilay said: “The AKP has been exploiting the resources of this country for 5,850 days, not just 100 days”.

If we ask what has happened in the last 100 days, said Kubilay, “we have to answer that the country has fallen into an economic crisis. Exchange rates have risen, wages have decreased, unemployment and poverty have increased. A single step was not taken to favour peace in the Kurdish question”.

Kubilay reminded that the AKP, since it came into power in 2002, has presented more than 100 items in the many action plans it has presented. Yet, it accomplished none.

“Many activities such as the establishment of the ’social assistance and employment link’, - said Kubilay - has done nothing but reduced bread on people's table. In addition to these, the decree issued under the name of ‘transition process’ in the 100-day program is a shameful and embarrassing process”.

The crisis is deepening

So, 100 days on, said Kubilay “the truth is that every decree and the decree law help deepening the uncertainty and crisis in the system. It is a crisis which has political, economic and legal dimensions”.

As to the autonomy of local governments, which are the principles of today's democracy, “is being subjected to the attack of this extreme centralist structure, the Erdogan regime, which we call the one-man regime”, said Kubilay.

Conflict and war policies

“The aim of the ‘one-man palace regime’ - said Kubilay - is not to offer social services more effectively: 100 days of discourse and practice show that the AKP government is only pursuing policies of war, conflict and violence. The cost of this policies is paid once again by our peoples as pain, destruction, poverty, unemployment and the cost of living worsens”.

Going back to the first question, then, what happened in 100 days?, the HDP economy spokesperson said: “What is central to this plan is not how to make the public gain but rather how to secure the establishment of marketisation and corruption”.

What happened in the first 100 days of the AKP’s Executive Program?

Kubilay listed the ‘results’ of the first 100 days of the AKP’s Executive Program:

1) inflation and interest rates going up from 15 to 25,

2) 560.000 additional persons added in the unemployment figures,

3) 19.7 billion spent on unemployment insurance (9 billion fund cost + 11 billion transfer to banks),

4) Increased budget deficit and public debt,

5) At least 539 workplace ‘murders’

6) Over 3,000 companies entered the line of concordat,

7) The minimum wage falling to the 2001 level,

8) An attack on airport workers who say ‘we are not slaves’

9) Initiatives attempting to make the workers pay the bill of the crisis

10) Economic confidence index down to 57.3 percent."

The AKP will be taught a lesson!

HDP deputy co-chair Günay Kubilay ended his remarks by saying that the AKP will be taught a lesson in the ballot box, next 31 March 2019.

“The AKP will be given the response it deserves in the local elections. Together with our people, we will hold this government accountable for the crisis and its attempt to make the people pay the price for it”.