The Turkish president dismissed this Saturday, January 29 the head of the national statistics agency (Tuïk). He had been criticized since the publication in early January of data that put the annual inflation rate at its highest level in 19 years. This record rate puts the Turkish head of state in a difficult position a year and a half before the next elections.
With our correspondent in Istanbul, Anne Andlauer
The departure of Sait Erdal Dinçer does not surprise anyone in Turkey. The head of the national statistics agency knew he was in the hot seat since the beginning of the year, since his agency published inflation rate official, 36% over one year, a record rate since 2002 and the coming to power of Recep Tayyip Erdogan’s party. Editorial writers close to the head of state had deemed this rate exaggerated, while the opposition accuses the official agency of underestimating the rise in prices under political pressure.
Record inflation is largely due to the plummeting the pound against the dollar, itself due to Recep Tayyip Erdogan’s monetary policy choices. The latter, who since 2019 has dismissed three governors of the Central Bank deemed recalcitrant, has forced this Central Bank to lower its main key rate four times since September, each time causing a fall in the pound.
Aware of the damage caused by inflation on his popularity, the president promised at the beginning of January to ” bring inflation back to single digits as soon as possible “. A few days ago, the Minister of Finance, himself appointed a few months ago, nevertheless admitted that inflation ” would remain for some time around 40% “.
►Read also: Central banks ease their policy to support the Chinese and Turkish economy