WAN -Stating that it is necessary to ask where the 88 billion 240 million TL obtained from earthquake taxes and the 4.5 trillion budget to be used for 2023 in Turkey spent, Employment Specialist Sinan Ok said that these resources were spent on war, rent and the Palace.

 

Following the earthquakes on August 17 and November 12 1999 in Turkey, new taxes were introduced with the Law No. 4481 of November 26, 1999. Earthquake tax (called Special Communication Tax) was also started to be collected with this law. The earthquake tax, which was brought for a year at that time, was first extended until December 31, 2002 with the Law No. 4605, and then until December 31, 2003. The tax, which was brought for one year, was added to the 39th article of the Expenditure Taxes Law No. 6102 with the Law No. 5228 published in the Official Gazette on July 31, 2004, making it permanent. Today, a special communication tax (earthquake tax) of 10 percent is collected from the communication tools used.

 

A revenue of 88 billion 240 million TL has been obtained from the earthquake taxes collected in Turkey for 24 years. The fact that many areas, affected by the severe earthquakes centered in Maraş and Gaziantep, are still not reached, raises the question of "where did the earthquake taxes spent", which was directly transferred to the treasury.

 

Speaking on the subject, Employment Specialist Sinan Ok stated that earthquake taxes in Turkey, like other taxes, are "transferred to war, rent and the palace".

 

THE EARTHQUAKE TAXES ARE NOT USED

 

Stating that the real face of the government was revealed once again after the earthquakes, the epicenter of which was Maraş and Gaziantep, Ok said: "The roads, airports, bridges and public buildings that they have built for years have collapsed. Public services are unable to provide to more than ten provinces, dozens of districts, villages and neighborhoods. The earthquake taxes collected so far could have been collected in a separate fund and used to prepare rescue teams, train staff and provide the necessary equipment. Unfortunately, this was not done."

 

THE BUDGET SPENDS TO WAR AND RANT

 

Pointing out that it is not just the earthquake tax that needs to be discussed, it is necessary to look at where the 4 and a half trillion budgets to be used this year are transferred, Ok said: "We need to question where the Turkish budget spend again when millions of people are hungry, cold and outside. So much rent, war, palace and supporters. If millions of people are waiting to die in the cold while there is a budget allocated, the society has to ask the question, 'what is this state for?' If the state has not been able to reach the people and pull them out of the rubble for nearly 40 hours today, then the state is an unnecessary state. Therefore, if there is a public service that needs to be delivered, it should be delivered today. No family should be visited for condolences and political speeches after people die tomorrow. The MPs and representatives of public institutions who are not there today will not have a word to say tomorrow.”