Tulay Cetingulec writes: Ahead of every election in Turkey, political parties make myriad promises to the jobless and the poor, pledging social benefits for low-income families and retirees and housing projects for the homeless. The promises are typically forgotten after a government is formed and then everything goes about as usual. Ahead of the June 7 parliamentary elections, however, issues appear bound to persist and keep fueling debate:
The CHP made a “profiling” of the population that drew up Turkey’s poverty map. The report, penned by a team led by CHP parliament member Umut Oran, detailed the economic woes of the impoverished masses and urged the government to struggle against poverty instead of busying itself with profiling.
The report is based on current data by the Turkish Statistics Institute (TUIK), which represent the state’s official figures that the government cannot dispute or deny. According to the report, 22 million Turks have an average monthly income of only 835 Turkish lira ($320), and 49 million are struggling with debt. It says 34 million cannot afford meat, chicken or fish once every two days, 56.2 million lack the means to renew worn-out furniture and 26 million are unable to buy new clothes. A one-week vacation per year is beyond the means of 58 million people.
While even the window glass of the new presidential palace was imported from abroad, 30.5 million Turks live in homes with leaking roofs, moisture-prone walls or decayed window frames. About 19 million people, or one in every four citizens, reside in dark homes deprived of sunlight. Accommodations without a bathroom, a toilet or a kitchen are home, respectively, to 2 million, 6.6 million and 2.1 million people. Another 12.1 million live in homes that lack warm water and 1.3 million in homes that lack water altogether. The report indicates that 22 million shiver during winter, unable to afford heating.
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With respect to unemployment, the report said, “Over the past 12 years, the AKP [Justice and Development Party] has failed to resolve problems of employment and livelihood. TUIK’s monthly unemployment data reflect only the tip of the iceberg. According to official definitions, 3,145,000 people are jobless and the unemployment rate is 10.9%”
What difference a social-democrat government can make? “If the CHP comes to power, it will focus on alleviating poverty,” said Oran, who is also the vice president of the Socialist International.
