Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan accused the opposition Republican People’s Party (CHP) of pressuring the judiciary after Beşiktaş Mayor Rıza Akpolat was arrested on charges of rigging public tenders. Speaking in Konya on Friday, Erdogan condemned the CHP for defending Akpolat, asserting that the judiciary operates independently and that no one is above the law in modern Turkiye.
CHP leader Ozgur Ozel and other party members claim the charges against Akpolat are politically motivated and lack evidence. A CHP lawmaker alleged that Istanbul’s chief prosecutor fabricated the allegations. Erdogan dismissed these claims, accusing the CHP of deflecting attention from its internal failings.
“The CHP should face us directly instead of targeting the judiciary,” Erdogan said, challenging Özel's criticisms of favoritism in his government. Erdogan mocked the CHP’s recent campaigns, including its "red card" protest and a pledge to lower raki prices, labeling them as frivolous and disconnected from public priorities.
Erdogan also criticized the CHP’s lack of vision and policy direction, suggesting the party underestimated public wisdom. He added, “May Allah grant patience to the CHP electorate. Their leaders are out of touch, and their best vision is to lower raki prices.”
Turning to Turkiye’s economic challenges, Erdogan acknowledged the impact of high inflation and rising living costs, pledging to prioritize reducing inflation and addressing price imbalances. He highlighted Turkiye’s economic growth and the government’s ongoing reforms, predicting the public would feel the effects of disinflation in the second half of the year.
Official data shows annual inflation fell to 44.38% in December from a peak of 75.5% earlier in the year. Treasury and Finance Minister Mehmet Şimşek emphasized that policies targeting both supply and demand, alongside reforms in food, housing, and energy, would support continued inflation reduction. The government also aims to cut the budget deficit to 3% of GDP through reduced public spending.
Erdogan called for public patience, promising that recent wage increases would become more meaningful as inflation continues to decline. “We’ve made progress, and there’s not much further to go,” he said.
Source: Daily Sabah
Bd-pratidin English/ Jisan
