All PostsFeatured-MainPolitics

Candidates to run for Turkey’s president in May elections start declaring manifestos

"Share this post on social media, spread the news"
Candidates to run for Turkey's president in May elections start declaring manifestos
Muharrem Ince, CHP candidate for president (Turkey)

 

As the presidential election to be held on June 24, 2018 approaches, the candidates to run for president of Turkey have started to declare their manifestos. CHP candidate MUHARREM INCE (a current CHP deputy) who is seen as the strongest opponent against Erdogan, revealed his manifesto. The CHP candidate made commitments in areas of law, economy, politics and education. The CHP candidate’s important statements about economy drew much attention.

At a time when intensifying signals of a crisis in economy have started to be observed in the country, what the candidate of the main opposition had to say in this regard was of much concern for the public, as well as experts certainly.

As INCE (CHP candidate) also pointed out the country has to deal with big structural problems in areas of industry, energy and agriculture such as dependence on imports, current account deficit, inflation, interest, unemployment, poverty, indebtedness and focusing on consumption rather than production.

The external debt stock, which was USD 129.6 billion in 2002, has reached USD 453 billion as of September 2017. Many experts state that the loans obtained were buried in concrete, not in production. The seven-year total of construction investments is calculated at USD 551 billion. Turkey needs to find funding of approximately USD 240 billion, within a year. Turkey urgently needs to get rid of the kind of economy dependent on external loans, construction, imports and low-technology. Many opinion leaders and experts believe the current economic model is bankrupt and radical steps need to be taken.

In his manifesto, INCE said there was need for a new economic model and stated that he planned to drop the current account deficit, which is now around 6 percent to 3 percent, the annual inflation rate of 10.85 percent (April 2018) to 5 percent and the unemployment rate of 10.6 percent March 2018) to 5 percent, in 5 years. INCE’s manifesto foresees an economic growth target of 7 percent annually.

On the other hand said manifesto also includes the target of increasing per capita national income of USD 10,597 (2017) to USD 15,000. Another target stated in the same manifesto is to increase the minimum wage of TL 1,603 to TL 2,200.

The manifesto says the amount of exports will be doubled in 5 years meaning the amount of exports which was USD 157 billion will be pulled up to USD 300 billion in 2023.

On the other hand tourism income which was at USD 2.2 billion in 2017 is forecasted to climb up to USD 60 billion in 2023 with 60 million tourists (currently 32.4) visiting Turkey. The manifesto says to achieve this target, the per capita tourist spending needs to rise from $ 681 to $ 1000.

As per said manifesto, the import dependency in agriculture and livestock will be brought to an end, farmers will be supplied gasoline at TL 3 and the decision of privatization of sugar factories will be canceled.

HEALTH MUSEUM VIDEO PIC 2