Tenant main opposition leader visited evicted from house upon ‘gov’t pressure’

Serkan Alan

A man who main opposition Republican People’s Party’s (CHP) leader Kemal Kılıçdaroğlu visited in a show of solidarity after his power was cut off for failing to pay his bills has been evicted from his house upon government pressure, the party’s Ankara chair, Ali Hikmet Akıllı, has said.

Reacting to the exorbitant increase in electricity prices at the beginning of the year, Kılıçdaroğlu did not pay his bill and his electricity was cut off in April.

Kılıçdaroğlu had visited İbrahim Öztürk, who could not pay his electricity bill due to financial difficulties and had his electricity cut off as well, in a show of solidarity.

Akıllı told Gazete Duvar that Öztürk was evicted from his house as a result of government pressure.

Akıllı said Öztürk was initially allegedly offered money to say “the electricity cut was staged.”

On the first day of 2022, Turkey increased gas prices by 25 percent and electricity prices by 50-125 percent.

After heavy criticisms and amid surging living costs for millions of Turkish citizens, the government reduced the value-added tax (VAT) on electricity used in residences and agricultural irrigation to 8% from 18% this week.

Turkey increased electricity prices by another 15 percent increase in June.

(English version by Alperen Şen)

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