HP met with citizens in Çamlıbel

People’s Party (HP) Agriculture Committee Chairman and MYO member agricultural engineer Turgut Alas stated that the General Agricultural Insurance Fund „only covers a part of agricultural producers“ and said that „General Agricultural Insurance should be adapted to current conditions“.

According to the party’s statement, HP officials visited Çamlıbel within the scope of village and region visits and met with the citizens. During the visit, HP Chairman Kudret Özersay was accompanied by Party Secretary General Ahmet Tokatlıoğlu, Agricultural Committee Chairman Turgut Alas, Sine-i Millet Commission Chairman Çağın Çağatay Karataş, some HP Central Executive Board members and names from the district administration.

Speaking during his visit to Çamlıbel, Turgut Alas stated that the General Agricultural Insurance fund was considered especially for potatoes and citrus fruits in the first years of its implementation, but it was not adapted to the changing conditions in agriculture.

“Today, there is an unfair situation for many agricultural producers. Although many producers are deducted for this fund, this insurance covers only a part of the producers and some producers are not paid any money from this insurance they contribute when they suffer from natural disasters. We observed this disturbance in Çamlıbel, one of our agricultural production regions. We, as the People’s Party, were able to sign on expanding the scope of the fund and covering some other products during the time we were in government. However, this is not enough either. The General Agricultural Insurance Fund should be brought in line with the conditions of the day.”

-“3% is deducted from the producer, but it is not used for the same producer!”

Pointing out that Çamlıbel is one of the important agricultural production regions of the country, Turgut Alas stated that the issue that the producers complain about is the General Agricultural Insurance Fund, which the party has been talking about for a long time, and which is not used properly.

Alas points out that the General Agricultural Insurance (GTS) Law has not undergone any revisions and/or amendments since the day it was made, except for „minor“ regulation changes, but that „many differences“ emerged between the crop production at the time the law was written and today’s crop production. he said:

“When we look at the period when the law was made, we see that there was a law written mainly for citrus and potatoes, which are the main products of the country. Many species and varieties that are easily produced in our country’s climate and have high imports are not within the scope of GTS. For example, almost all of the fresh vegetables grown in the open and many fruit types and products grown in the greenhouse are excluded from this scope. However, the fuel, fertilizer, seeds, etc. used by the producers producing these products. Deductions are made from the inputs to be transferred to the fund. When these producers are damaged in natural disasters and similar conditions, they are not entitled to any compensation because they are not in this scope.”

Expressing the opinion that the General Agricultural Insurance Law should be revised without delay and it should be ensured that it covers other species and varieties produced in the country, Alas said, “By including these species and varieties within the scope of the GTS, the producers should be compensated for the damages that will occur due to natural disasters. Thus, producers who produce these species and varieties with high imports will be encouraged to continue production, and by reducing imports, these products will be delivered to consumers at cheaper prices in the domestic market. The source to provide this compensation can be obtained from the 3 percent tax and fund deductions already deducted from the producer. The income obtained from this will also be returned to the sector from which it came. In this period, when the input costs have already risen too much, it is also ensured that the source obtained from the producer is used correctly for the producer without the need for an additional taxation for the producer.

“We have heard many statements and statements in the last year from different prime ministers and ministers of agriculture about the reorganization of the GTS,” said Alas. Even if urgency is requested, this and similar situations should be promptly requested. Postponing those who are for the benefit of society and bringing those who will question democracy and freedoms to the agenda as if they are smuggling the fire, will only strengthen the thesis that the main thing is not the intention but the mentality,“ he said.

-Özersay: „If we say country first, these difficult days will pass and this mismanagement will end“

Answering the questions of the citizens during his visit to Çamlıbel, HP Chairman Özersay said, “We should act without putting personal interests in the foreground, we should be able to say ‚homeland first‘ because only then can we survive on these lands. We, as the people, should react to politicians who think about their own pockets and seats. If we say homeland first, these difficult days will pass and this mismanagement will end. This country cannot go anywhere with an understanding that tries to get rich in the shortest way, and that pursues vicious and personal interests. We did not intimidate this environment in which democracy and the will of the people were ignored and a government whose legitimacy was disputed was brought to us, and we reacted. We believe that the citizens will show the necessary reaction to this situation in the near future.”