CHP Leader and Presidential Candidate Kemal Kılıçdaroğlu Addresses Tent and Container Manufacturers in Malatya, a Disaster Region

Republican People's Party Chairman and Nation Alliance Presidential Candidate Kemal Kılıçdaroğlu visited the Organized Industrial Zone in Malatya, which was struck by the earthquake disaster, and met with business people.

CHP Chairman and Nation Alliance Presidential Candidate Kemal Kılıçdaroğlu said, "If the social state could not act as the social state now, when would it do so? The wounds need to be healed immediately. There are still problems with tents and containers. Whoever produces containers and says we can't find customers, whoever produces tents and says we can't find customers to sell them, let them inform us, let them inform me, let them inform our Metropolitan Mayors, and we will immediately buy the containers, we will buy the tents, and we will bring them to the earthquake zone."

Dear press members, this is my second visit to Malatya after the earthquake. We met with the business world, and they shared their problems. Their first main issue is that the workers and qualified personnel working in factories have left Malatya to a great extent. They need to return as quickly as possible. I conveyed my thoughts to the esteemed business people. Necessary and positive actions should be taken in terms of tax. A tax advantage should be provided for the return of workers and qualified personnel who have left Malatya, more precisely outside the earthquake zone. It is incredibly beneficial for the Ministry of Treasury and Finance and KOSGEB to carry out specific work on this issue. Because business people need to run their factories, they need to produce, export and contribute to the increase in national income. They have these concerns. They conveyed these concerns in a way. I am voicing this from here, and I promised them as well.

After the presidential elections, God willing, when we win, they will see; I also stated that at least for a certain period in the earthquake zone in this region, the workers' wages should not be taxed, and such an advantage should be provided.

Of course, I also must address the government from here. We are committed to doing this, but we would be pleased if they could do it sooner.

The second important issue is that houses were destroyed in the earthquake, there were severe problems in rural areas, and some products were left on hand. Milk producers have complained that they can't sell their milk or find enough buyers. So we are making a call to the officials of the Meat and Milk Board. We make a call to the Soil Products Office. There are apricots on hand; let them buy them. Let the Meat and Milk Authority buy the milk in the hands of milk producers.

If the social state could not act as the social state now, when would it do so? The wounds need to be healed immediately. There are still problems with tents and containers. Whoever produces containers and says we can't find customers, whoever has tents and says we can't find customers to sell them, let them inform us, let them tell me, let them inform our Metropolitan Mayors, and we will immediately buy the containers, we will purchase the tents, and we will bring them to the earthquake zone.

Craftsmen are in an extremely troubled position. The problems of the craftsmen also need to be solved. They have loans from banks and Tradesmen's Surety Cooperatives. At least these loans should be postponed. We are in favour of writing them off. These interests need to be erased. Therefore, they expressed their problems, and we shared our thoughts with the business world.

I thank you all from the bottom of my heart, dear press members. Thank you very much.