‘AKP and MHP are responsible for poverty and unemployment in Turkey’

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Republican People's Party (CHP) Chair Kemal Kılıçdaroğlu delivered a speech before the Party Assembly meeting yesterday (January 12).

Underlining that there has been a deep divide in Turkey, main opposition leader Kılıçdaroğlu has stressed that the issues on the government's agenda and those on people's agenda are different.

Addressing President and ruling Justice and Development Party (AKP) Chair Recep Tayyip Erdoğan, he has said, "If you say, 'This problem will be solved with artificial agendas', let's sit and talk. If you will resolve unemployment and poverty with artificial agendas, let's talk."

CHP Chair has indicated that the government has lost its touch with Turkey's reality. "Which AKP deputy took the floor at the Parliament and talked about the problems of shop owners," he has asked.

'Don't you see the hunger of millions?'

Kılıçdaroğlu has also addressed the voters of the ruling AKP and its ally Nationalist Movement Party (MHP) of Devlet Bahçeli:

"It is now time to think together; it is now time to solve the problems together if there are problems. We don't let privilege and discrimination. The woman collecting food from garbage is our citizen as well. Children are our own children. If the institution of politics remains indifferent to that problem, then, it means that it does not fulfill its duty.

"Everyone, all MPs at the Parliament regardless of their political parties, has to deal with the problems of Turkey.

"The main duty falls on the shoulders of AKP and MHP. Did you introduce a bill to Parliament to resolve this problem, but we raised an objection? Did you say, 'Let's set up an investigation committee', but we raised an objection? On the very contrary, you rejected the ones we had proposed."

Indicating that "they are responsible for both poverty and hunger", Kılıçdaroğlu has also criticized the recent labor force statistics announced by the state agency Turkish Statistical Institute (TurkStat):

"Those working there... Don't you see the realities? Don't you see the hunger and poverty of millions. There are tens of thousands unemployed people of all ages and educational backgrounds."

CLICK - Number of unemployed according to TurkStat: 4 million

(DŞ/SD)