583,314 tradespeople have gone bankrupt since 2018

CHP Deputy Chairman Veli Agbaba gave a written press release regarding the mass bankruptcies of tradespeople. Agbaba stated that the number of tradespeople who went bankrupt and removed themselves from their profession and the registry in the first three months of the year was recorded as at least 35,774.

Agbaba said, "While the number of tradespeople who deregistered from their profession in the first three months of the year was 7,067, the number of those who unenrolled from the registry was 28,707. This year's first-quarter bankruptcies of 35,774 tradespeople are the highest in the last two years."

In his statement, Agbaba said, "AKP Chairman Erdoğan said before the 2018 elections, 'Give authority to this brother of yours, then you will see how we deal with this interest rate and that, and so on.' It was claimed that we would become one of the world's top three economies with the presidential system. The total bankruptcy figure of five years is greater than the population of 44 provinces."

“Small tradespeople have also suffered from this crisis”

While Turkey has been going through its biggest economic crisis in history in the last five years, small tradespeople have also had their share of this crisis. In the much-praised presidential system, 583,314 tradespeople have gone bankrupt and lost their means of livelihood over the past five years.

“After May 14, the interest on the loans of our tradespeople will be erased”

After the May 14 elections, our first priority will be to relieve our tradespeople so that they can keep their means of livelihood. We will start by eliminating the interest on their debts to banks and credit guarantee cooperatives. Additionally, we will reduce the withholding tax rate for shop rental payments to zero. To enable our tradespeople to retire, we will grant them the right to retroactive borrowing for the period between 2000-2008, taking into account the periods spent under commercial registry records and trade associations. We will also put an end to the inequality of 9,000 days of premiums.”