TurkStat explains why it filed a complaint against Inflation Research Group

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The Turkish Statistical Institution (TurkStat) has stated that it filed a criminal complaint against the independent Inflation Research Group (ENAG) for misleading the public with inadequate information.

Founded by a group of economists last year, the ENAG announces monthly inflation rates and usually finds significantly higher figures than those of the TurkStat.

For April, the TurkStat announced the inflation rate as 1.68 percent whereas the ENAG's inflation rate was 2.62 percent.

Over the past few years, the accuracy of the TurkStat figures on employment and inflation rates has been questioned by economists and opposition parties.

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It was revealed on Saturday (May 8) that the TurkStat filed a complaint against the ENAG in February.

Releasing a statement today, the TurkStat said it didn't intend to hinder the group's activities by filing a complaint.

"The content of the criminal complaint is limited to the fact that the relevant group does not publish the required explanatory information with its bulletins, it is not related to the results of the published study," it said. "Moreover, it is not aimed at hindering or stopping the study. The only purpose is the public to be informed fully, completely and accurately."

The Turkstat said the ENAG violated article 6 of the Statistics Law, which obligates organizations that carry out research activities containing statistical results to make public scope, sampling method and sample size of the research, data collection method and the period the research was carried out.

The statistical authority also noted that it takes into account the Eurostat recommendations and international norms when calculating the inflation rate and other statistics and their figures were regularly reviewed by the Eurostat. (HA/VK)