Minister Bolat assessed economic conditions at a consultation meeting with representatives of civil society organizations held at the Aksaray Chamber of Commerce and Industry Meeting Hall.
Bolat said the world had experienced a major contraction during the period that began with the pandemic and that a period of high inflation followed the increase in the money supply. He said the Russia-Ukraine war had brought energy and food crises, adding that these developments had led to price increases.
Energy imports and the earthquake cost
Bolat said Türkiye’s energy import bill had risen to $100 billion because of the Russia-Ukraine war, an increase of $50 billion in one year.
Bolat said 53,500 people had lost their lives in the earthquakes centered in Kahramanmaraş and that extensive destruction had occurred in 11 provinces. He said the government’s two priority goals were fighting inflation and rebuilding the earthquake-affected areas.
Bolat said reconstruction and rebuilding efforts in the earthquake-affected areas were nearing completion and that these efforts had cost the budget $105 billion over 3.5 years. He added that the impact of this burden on the budget would decrease in the coming years.
Assessment of economic indicators
Bolat said opportunities that would bring relief to all segments of society would emerge over time. He said conflicts in the Gulf had kept prices high in many areas, from energy costs to fertilizer and petrochemical products.
Bolat said the war in the Gulf had entered its sixth month and argued that Türkiye had managed these processes in a way that protected citizens’ economic security. He said Türkiye had increased its national income sixfold in dollar terms and its goods and services exports eightfold over 23.5 years. He added that employment had risen to 32.7 million, an additional increase of 11 million.
Bolat also said terrorist activities and raids targeting Türkiye from northern Iraq and Syria had ended, adding that a strong army, economy, stability and defense industry had contributed to these results. He also said that the Law on Combating Terrorism and the Framework Law for a Terror-Free Türkiye and the Region Project had been adopted by the Grand National Assembly of Türkiye.
Bolat said they aimed to end the wars in the region through peace efforts and that work to increase citizens’ prosperity would continue.
Aksaray Governor Murat Duru also said Aksaray made a significant contribution to Türkiye’s economy in the fields of agriculture and industry.
