60,000 Farmers Protest in Manisa

Last week, approximately 60,000 farmers demonstrated agaist government policy in the city of Manisa, in Western Anatolia.

Starting early in the morning, the farmers filled Laleli Square in Manisa, shouting the slogan "We are finished, exhausted; we are nothing." The president of the Turkish Chambers of Agriculture Association, Şemsi Bayraktar, and the president of the Manisa Chamber of Agriculture, Nuri Sorman, both spoke at the meeting.

Bayraktar: We fill the square because of inconsistent policies

The crowd filling the square frequently shouted slogans against the government and Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdoğan. Coming to the stage amidst applause, Bayraktar stated that those filling the square were protesting because of the inconsistent policies of the ruling Justice and Development Party (AKP).

"There are those who want politics to cast a shadow over this meeting. We, while seeking this function, have expressed that we are staying out of politics and maintaining an equal distance from all political parties. But the current government's policies disgust us. Everything is evident. They gave their word to support us. But it isn't enough at all. Even the petrol support has no meaning in the face of price rises. The point that we've come to is the end-point of our farms. Our products can't get the sort of prices they deserve. Don't forget that if the farmers is a country are left hungry, the nation will be left hungry as well. Ankara must hear the voice of this crowd. We want a solution, not a problem," he said.

Sorman: We are living in the worst period in our history

Speaking at the meeting, Nuri Sorman, president of the Manisa Chamber of Agriculture, said that the crowd gathered in the square was a sign of how difficult the situation of distressed farmers was. Sorman, adding that a crowd of such size had never before gathered in the square, said "The policies they have applied have reduced us to this. Because we have no other remedy left. Until now, we have left no stone unturned for a solution to our troubles. But the outcome is clear. We are living in the worst period of our history."

"We farmers have come to a situation where we cannot even gather out crops from the fıeld. Because the crop won't sell. The money recieved won't even meet our expenses. Farmers have been dragged into a quagmire of debt. The government must not remain insensitive to our problems. These people have come to Manisa to make their voices heard. They have come from all four corners of the country. To pretend to be blind to the heartbreaking state of the farmers will be very damaging to the government." (TK/EA)