12.03.2025 18:31
Birol Aydemir, the former President of the institution who submitted a written statement in the lawsuit filed on the grounds that TÜİK's inflation data is unfounded, stated, "TÜİK has been using prices collected online for the last 3.4 years in its inflation calculations. TÜİK has reported inflation at least 31% lower than it actually is. A retiree receiving 15,000 lira today would have been receiving 20,000 lira if inflation had been reported accurately."
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The Honorary Member of the Supreme Court's 7th Criminal Chamber, Seyfettin Çilesiz, has filed a lawsuit at the Ankara 6th Administrative Court on the grounds that "the inflation data of TÜİK is false," and the court's decision is expected soon.
THE TÜİK CASE IS NEARING ITS END
During the hearing held on Monday, March 3, it was requested that the former President of TÜİK, Birol Aydemir, be heard as an expert, but the court rejected this request. Aydemir, who submitted a written statement to the court, raised allegations that TÜİK calculated inflation too low, used the internet browsing method to include affordable products in its inflation calculations, and that regional directors who opposed this were dismissed.
STRIKING WORDS FROM THE FORMER TÜİK PRESIDENT
Former TÜİK President Aydemir answered questions regarding the allegations in his written statement. When asked how he made the calculation regarding his claim that "it would not be wrong to say that TÜİK showed inflation 31% lower over three years when we equalized the TÜİK and İTO indices in January 2022," Aydemir stated:
"TÜİK CALCULATED INFLATION 31% LOWER"
"With a very simple example, I said that as a result of TÜİK showing inflation low, the salaries of retirees and workers have been calculated and given at a rate of one-third, that is, 31% lower over the last three years. Since 2022, I argue that TÜİK has calculated the inflation it announced at least 31% lower, and as a result, the salaries of retirees and civil servants have been increased by this much.
How did I make this calculation? I have been trying to think about TÜİK's inflation calculations for about three or four years. I tried to test its accuracy with some indicators. I saw from my perspective that it does not show inflation correctly and shows it downward. There is an inflation figure published by the Istanbul Chamber of Commerce every month. I took those figures and compared them with TÜİK's figures. There is a series that goes back maybe ten years, even more, and almost 120 months. When I compared them, I saw that they were neck and neck until the beginning of 2021 and even 2022. The difference was almost negligible. Then suddenly that closeness starts to break, and İTO's inflation begins to stay above TÜİK's inflation. There are times when it exceeds by 3, 5, 7 points, even over 20 points. İTO did not change its method, but the managers and ministers at TÜİK changed. After that, a peculiarity began to occur in TÜİK's inflation calculations.
"IF INFLATION HAD BEEN REPORTED CORRECTLY, RETIREMENT SALARY WOULD HAVE BEEN 20 THOUSAND LIRA"
After May 2023, suddenly the minister changes, and TÜİK is under Mehmet Şimşek. I do not think Mehmet Şimşek gave an instruction to manipulate the figures. As a result, the two figures began to converge again. Currently, the difference has dropped to an average of 5-6 points. İTO's inflation was 31% higher than the inflation announced by TÜİK over three years, which I consider to be the minimum, therefore TÜİK showed inflation at least 31% lower. This means that the salaries of retirees and workers, which are determined according to inflation, were increased by one-third less. Today, a retiree receiving 15 thousand lira would have received 20 thousand Turkish Lira if inflation had been reported correctly and he had received his salary. Today, the bonus was increased by one thousand lira, and the situation has turned into a disaster. Where a thousand lira is being discussed, we are talking about five thousand lira every month.
"8 REGIONAL DIRECTORS WERE DISMISSED ON THE SAME NIGHT"
Regarding the allegations that "TÜİK dismissed 8 regional directors and that 6 experts from the center went on leave after obtaining reports before the inflation for May 2022 was announced," Aydemir stated: "I have technical opinions that TÜİK's inflation is incorrect. I also think that TÜİK does not reflect inflation data correctly due to administrative measures taken in the institution. TÜİK has been using prices collected from the internet for inflation calculations for the last 3-4 years. But how many people shop online in Turkey? When people shop online in Turkey, they expect the cheapest and buy it. I do not know what percentage of total spending it is, but it is clear that it is a low amount. Now there is an allegation that TÜİK takes the price of the cheapest product found online and tells the regional directors, 'You will report this as the price, you will use this.' I think this is true. Why? Because 8 regional directors who objected to this were dismissed on the same night. It is not normal for 8 regional directors to be dismissed at the same time. Because I headed that institution for 4.5 years. I know well what things mean in bureaucracy. Therefore, the regional directors who did not accept this were dismissed.
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