Higher inflation for the poor, controversy in politics

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Turkey's inflation rate hit a two-decade record of 69.97 percent in April, even according to the widely disputed figures of the Turkish Statistical Institute (TurkStat).

It was more than twice as high, 156.86 percent, according to the Inflation Research Group (ENAG), a group of economists releasing an "alternative price index" every month.

According to another calculation, the inflation rate was closer to the official numbers for the rich and to ENAG for the poor.

It was 131.6 percent for the poorest 20 percent of the country and 65 percent for the richest 20 percent, found the Confederation of Progressive Trade Unions of Turkey Research Center (DİSK-AR), whose calculations were based on TurkStat data. 

The inflation rate was 88.1 percent, 97 percent and 114.9 percent for the three groups in the middle, from higher to lower income.

The highest price increase was in transportation with 105 percent and food with 90 percent, according to TurkStat.

While the government blames global inflation, economists point out that the increase in inflation in Turkey was much higher than its peer countries.

Read more:

• Cheap labor and food inflation at the same time

• Prices constantly soar in Turkey: 'We are embarrassed to tell customers a price'

• İstanbul: Living costs have increased by 73 percent in a year

• Food sales declined in February amid high food inflation

Police officer threatens HDP deputy A government-backed group known as the Diyarbakır Families on Thursday wanted to leave a black wreath in front of the Peoples' Democratic Party (HDP) headquarters in Ankara. They said their children had been kidnapped and recruited by the outlawed Kurdistan Workers' Party (PKK) and asked the HDP to bring them back. Tensions rose when HDP members removed the wreath and the police intervened. Eight people were detained. A video later released by HDP deputy Meral Danış-Beştaş showed a police officer threatening to shoot MP Ayşe Acar-Başaran, saying, "I'm gonna nail you down." Başaran condemned the police in a press conference the next day, saying, "In my person, all Kurds, all women, and all HDP members were threatened."

İmamoğlu under fire after "Erdoğan-like" photo with journalists The İstanbul mayor paid a visit to Eastern Black Sea provinces, including his hometown, Trabzon, during the Sugar Feast, or Eid al-Fitr. Unusual for a mayor but not unusual for a possible presidential candidate, he held rallies in Trabzon and Rize, addressing crowds on a campaign bus. The mayor faced a backlash after a photo of him together with several journalists in the bus, circulated on social media. The photo was reminiscent of President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan's photos with his favored journalists on presidential planes. Moreover, one of the journalists with İmamoğlu was Nagehan Alçı, a staunch supporter of Erdoğan. The mayor downplayed the criticism, saying, "I don't give a damn," causing even more reactions against him. He apologized for these words on Saturday but defended his move to meet pro-government journalists.

Far-right leader challenges interior minister Ümit Özdağ, an anti-immigration politician whose popularity has been increasing recently, attempted to visit Minister of Interior Süleyman Soylu at the ministry, after the minister called him "lower than an animal" during a live TV interview a day before. Blocked by the police while he was surrounded by reporters, Özdağ, addressing Soylu, said, "Come here, you coward. It's not your place to insult me and my family. You are the biggest criminal in the history of the republic." (Photo: AA)

Politics

Çavuşoğlu's Grey Wolf salute to Armenian protesters leads to diplomatic row between Turkey, Uruguay Visiting Montevideo a day before the Armenian Genocide Remembrance Day, Çavuşoğlu faced protests by Armenians in the city. He responded by flashing the ultranationalist "Grey Wolf" sign 

Poll: Erdoğan loses to the right candidate Kurdish votes and the HDP will be key to the election, another opinion poll showed 

Turkey spent 135 million dollars in 2021 for military activities abroad The country spent 70 billion Turkish lira (~468 million US dollars) on defense and 200 million lira for border walls, according to the annual activity report released by the Ministry of Defense. 

Freedom of expression

BİA Media Monitoring Report At least six journalists were attacked and one was killed in an armed attack in the first three months of the year. Seventeen journalists stood trial for "insulting the president" and one was convicted of this crime. RTÜK issued 61 penalties on TV outlets and access to 50 online news articles was blocked by court orders.

Turkey top country in violations against women journalists The Coalition for Women in Journalism (CFWIJ) recorded 63 cases of legal harassment, physical assault, and detention in Turkey in four months. 

Gezi trial

"We will continue the struggle" The father of Berkin Elvan, who was hit in the head with a gas canister fired by the police during the Gezi Resistance and lost his life after 269 days in coma, spoke to bianet about the convictions in the Gezi Park case. "We have been together with those people for nine years; they are like our own family," he said. 

Osman Kavala: Gezi trial unveiled the state of the judiciary The businessperson who was sentenced to aggravated life imprisonment sent a message from the Silivri Prison, where he has been held over four years and a half. 

Message from Çiğdem Mater, who returned to Turkey to attend the hearings of the Gezi trial. After the ruling was given, she was arrested because of the "suspicion that she could flee." In her message from İstanbul's Bakırköy Prison, she said, "I hear and know your voice, your words, your support. Thank you. I am quite fine because we are quite right. Lots of love from Bakırköy." 

Human rights

Appeals court rejects Dink family's appeal against acquittals The family of the late journalist had appealed against the acquittals of dozens of public officials for "killing" and "killing by negligent behavior." 

"Inflation is also high in prisons" Prisoners have to pay for the electricity use other than lighting, and for food other than the regular meals. Prices in the prison canteen constantly increase, they say. 

Opinion | Digital intolerance to Kurdish in Turkey Run by a government appointed trustee, the Diyarbakır Metropolitan Municipality changed "Newroz" in the digital signs of municipality buses to "Nevruz," the Turkish equivalent of the word. Güven Adalı writes... 

85th anniversary of the Dersim Massacre The Human Rights Association called on the government to face the massacre and reinstate the name of Dersim 

Migration

Asylum applications from Turkey to EU countries rose by 45 percent in a year More than 20,000 people from Turkey applied for asylum in an EU country in 2021 and 7,925 of them were granted protection status, according to Eurostat. 

Over 1.3 million foreigners legally reside in İstanbul About 542,000 of the foreigners are people from Syria under "temporary protection" status and the others are "regular immigrants who have residence permits," according to the Governor's Office. 

Opinion | Double Standards: Media coverage of Ukrainian refugee crisis "We must always remember that atrocities start with discriminative words in the mass media; the despair we all feel for Ukrainian refugees should be the same as the despair we feel for Syrians, Iraqis, Palestinians, Afghan, and Kurdish refugees," writes Cevdet Acu 

Women

bianet Male Violence Monitoring Report Men killed at least 29 women, inflicted violence on at least 52 women, abused at least 18 girls and boys, harassed at least 14 women and forced 38 women to sex work in Turkey in April 2022.

Labor

Starbucks workers in Turkey speak out: "18-hour shifts, no clear job definition and mobbing" 

Health

Two out of every three adults in Turkey are overweight The share of overweight or obese people in Turkey is higher than the Europe average, shows a WHO report 

Number of Turkey's active Covid cases drops below zero On April 29, the number of active cases, which is found by subtracting the total of daily new recoveries and deaths from the new cases, was -4,776, with 1,924 new cases, 8,302 new recoveries and 9 deaths in a day, once again raising suspicions about the accuracy of the ministry figures. The error was caused by a "synchronization problem" between two systems used to record Covid figures, said the health minister 

(VK)