Turkish Prime Minister has defended recent increases in tax on several items, calling citizens to stop smoking, reduce drinking alcohol and avoid buying expensive cars.
“The country has a current account deficit problem,” Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdo??an said on Oct. 15 during his inauguration speech at his Justice and Development Party’s (AKP) consultation and evaluation meeting in Ankara’s K?±z?±lcahamam. “We do act carefully on these issues, stretch our money as late [Prime Minister and President] Turgut ?zal used to say, we cannot avoid economic problems that Greece is facing now.”
Turkey on Oct. 13 increased a special consumption tax (SCT) on alcohol, tobacco products, motor vehicles and mobile phones.
Erdo??an told citizens they would be fine if they didn’t smoke and consumed alcohol in moderation. “We will not let citizens suffer from inflation,” the prime minister said. “The latest tax increases are not over the inflation rate. We have carefully calculated everything.”
The PM also said citizens should drive less gas-consuming vehicles such as Fiat and Volkswagen cars, instead of luxurious ones with over 2000 CC engines, such as Porsches, to cut spending.
?°brahim Aybar, general manager of Renault Mais, the Turkish producer and distributor of French brand, declined yesterday to comment on whether it was right for the country’s political leader to single out particular brands.
Along with Fiat, Renault is one of the two main actors in domestic passenger cars market.
The PM also lashed out at media, accusing particular newspapers that questioned the salaries of the lawmakers following the rise in SCT.
“Now, I address my nation. I address the managing staff in media. You know that I speak openly without playing on words. Who is questioning the salaries? The media. Shame on you,” he said. “We had not increased the salaries of the deputies during our rule of nine years. We have only applied the increase what a lowest level public servant gets.”
The group deputy chairman of the Republican People’s Party (CHP) Muharrem ?°nce reacted against the prime minister’s statements, claiming that the government was trying to overshadow the latest price increases on natural gas and electricity with a rise in taxes.
Speaking to journalists during a meeting in the northeastern province of Yalova, ?°nce said: “Apparently the prime minister has never studied logics. What a big mistake. He calls on citizens to consume less. Then revenues of the government would fall and won’t be able to close the current account gap.”
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