Finance chief Simsek meets main opposition’s deputy chairman Karatepe

Main opposition party CHP Deputy Chairman Yalcin Karatepe met with Minister of Treasury and Finance Mehmet Simsek on Monday, in a pivotal discussion that spanned over four hours. The meeting addressed a wide array of urgent economic issues.

Following the discussion, a press release was prepared at CHP headquarters summarizing the key points addressed by Karatepe.

Main opposition CHP’s economic expert Karatepe highlighted several critical issues in his statements: “We strongly opposed the absence of a minimum wage increase for the second half of the year amid high inflation. We emphasized the urgent need to raise the minimum wage. Similarly, we conveyed the necessity of increasing pensions for retirees.”

Karatepe also addressed agricultural support, stating, “We calculated that $89.6 billion in support has been withheld from our farmers since 2006. We presented data on Türkiye’s spending on agricultural imports during this period to the Minister.”

On the topic of tax fairness, Karatepe argued for a tax system based on “economic capability.” Karatepe emphasized the current system lacks fairness and proposed a number of regulatory changes to the government to address the issue.

The meeting reflects the CHP’s ongoing commitment to addressing economic disparities and advocating for fair policies.