Future mortgaged for the sake of ‘craziness’

Following the transfer of nine large public entities the evening before last, yesterday the shares in Turkish Airlines and Halkbank were also transferred to the wealth fund. The AKP has thus brought to twelve the number of companies in the fund’s portfolio from which it can finance ‘crazy projects’ like the city hospitals and Channel Istanbul.

Ümit Akçay of Atılım University has said that the use of the Fund to prevent economic stagnation or finance projects will amount to the transfer of public funds to the private sector. CHP Vice General Chair Lale Karabıyık has also stressed that the ‘country’s future has been sold.’

CHP Vice General Chair Selin Sayek Böke, stressing that 3 billion lira have been transferred from the Defence Fund to the Wealth Fund, said, ‘They are also mortgaging our children’s lives.’ Faik Öztrak, for his part, warned that, ‘The transferred entities may pass into the hands of foreigners.’