The leader of the Turkish main opposition Republican People's Party (RPP), Özgür Özel, praised the economies of Turkey's neighboring countries Bulgaria and Greece and sharply criticized the economic situation in Turkey, the Ihlyas Haber Agency reported, quoted by BTA.
In his speech at a RPP rally that took place yesterday in the Turkish city of Edirne, close to the Bulgarian border, Özel made comparisons with prices in Bulgaria and Greece, which, according to him, have higher purchasing power due to the depreciation of the Turkish lira as a result of the economic crisis in the country. According to him, this is why Turkey attracts Bulgarians.
„Ivan from Bulgaria is coming, he gives the leva and fills the bags. He even buys a coat. While he is doing this, our brother Okan in Turkey works for a month just to be able to afford to buy a coat“, said Özel, quoted by the agency.
According to the opposition leader, the situation is similar in neighboring Greece.
“Turks go to Greece or neighboring Bulgaria to buy meat, which is fabulously expensive here and not affordable for the average Turkish citizen. At the same time, Bulgarians prefer to shop in Edirne because of the favorable currencies in Turkey. "Food inflation in Turkey is the highest in Europe and the third highest in the world," Özel said.
İhlas Haber Ağanşı points out that the opposition leader's speech, especially in this part, has caused disapproval among some participants in the rally.
Özel's comparisons about food prices, exchange rates and purchasing power were criticized for presenting Turkey negatively internationally, İhlas Haber Ağanşı notes. Many citizens who participated in the rally said that the use of language that belittles Turkey was unacceptable, the agency added.