Turkey to increase energy assistance as Erdoğan dismisses protests over rising prices

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The government will increase energy bills assistance for low-income households, the minister of energy and natural resources has said.

Last year, the government spent 10 billion Turkish lira (736 million USD) on electricity and natural gas bills assistance to about two million households, Fatih Dönmez told the state-run Anadolu Agency (AA).

The government pays 50 percent of electricity bills and 75 percent of natural gas bills of the households receiving assistance.

This year, the number of households receiving natural gas assistance will increase to four million, with each household receiving 450 to 1,150 lira a month, the minister said. This means about one in six households in Turkey will receive energy assistance.

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The sharp increase in natural gas and electricity prices at the start of the year was down to global price increases, Dönez said, adding that half of the resources Turkey uses for power production are imported resources.

The government raised electricity prices by over 125 percent for uses over 150 kWh and by 50 percent under this threshold. Natural gas prices also increased by 25 percent. After a public backlash, the government raised the 150 kWh threshold to 210 kWh.

While the opposition presses the government to further reduce prices with people protesting on the streets and on social media, President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan said on Saturday (February 11) that there was "no need to fuss about bills."

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(VK)