Perhaps the Chief had better win the election?

AYDIN ENGİN

I was chatting to a friend-colleague who is well clued up on the economy, whose analyses and predictions I trust, who has never misled me, who reaches conclusions that always come true and whom I trust unswervingly.

Do not ask his name. Let us keep advertising out of it and let us not get him sacked from the media outlet where he works with them saying, “Hey, are you passing on information to that lot at Cumhuriyet?”

I was not actually angling at getting an in-depth economics lesson. I was just going to ask about the AKP Chief’s Minister of the Economy.

I mean the Minister of the Economy who formulated the following mind-boggling sentences: “In terms of export, employment, investments, tourist numbers and macroeconomic indicators, our economy is currently taking quite sturdy paces forward. I do not accept the rise in the exchange rate despite all these positive developments.”

No lesser mortal than the minister must have some clue, one would hope. What piques my curiosity is whether, when the dollar exchange rate increases, they ask, “Ahoy, brother economy minister, we are going to raise the value of the dollar a bit. Do you accept this?” My man had a good guffaw. Then added, “You basically want to look at the first bit of the sentence.”

He then launched into a long lesson covering terms and concepts like, “current account deficit, GDP, FX hedge, central banks’ independence, late liquidity window, Phillips curve, swap transaction and residents.”

He finished, leaned back and asked, “You’re with me, aren’t you?”
I retorted at once.
“No chance.”

He took a pitiful glance at an outright “economic illiterate” like me.
“It’s crashed, laddie. This country’s economy’s crashed. Economies that are reduced to a sector like construction that does not create added value and place their hope in fluctuating tourism income crash. The state spending money like there’s no tomorrow with the election in mind is salt to the wound. Are you with me now?”

I was not going to take such belittlement and be humiliated on account of my ignorance:
“I know that much, laddie. I’m asking you what needs to be done to sort out this crashed economy. Out with it and let’s see the extent of your knowledge.”
He explained. He explained at length. He put it in a way I’d understand, and I got it.

***

Oh, reader,

If you are clued up on the economy you know anyway; if not and you are of my ilk, pin back your ears. The Turkish economy, before it crashes in full and hits rock bottom, absolutely needs to endure a far-reaching, greatly patience-testing recovery period that will be very tough on us all (yes, us all). It is going to take more than a couple of days to heal the deep and fatal wounds the country’s economy has suffered under the AKP Chief’s rule and nobody has a magic recipe.
A heavy price will be paid for haughtily proclaiming, “We’ve got whatever is on the shelves in Europe on our shelves, too,” the orgy of consumption without producing and philandering with outside money (the dollar and euro).

And, also, regardless of which party comes to power, this heavy price will be paid before very long. Because the rock bottom is not very far off.

***

Who is going to inherit the poisoned chalice on 25 June?

In our Aegean climes they say, “They make the killer of the dog drag it away.”
I wonder if I spoke to Kemal Kılıçdaroğlu about 25 June and said, “Mr Kılıçdaroğlu, don’t knock yourself out too much, strive for 100 or 120 seats and leave the rest for the Chief,” would he pay heed? Can I influence Selahattin Demirtaş? If I said, “Look, friend, you are in a two-person cell as it is, so don’t put yourself out too much. Tell those on the outside to do enough to put a group together and forget the rest,” would he lend an ear?

I mean, would it perhaps not be smarter to make the killer of the dog drag it away?
Otherwise, you will need to be ready as of now for them swanking “How well we were doing and they came along and they’re shafting the people.”

Acep seçimi Reis kazansa daha mı iyi?