Turkey’s new vice president, Cevdet Yilmaz, said on Monday that the authorities are focusing on fighting inflation and rebuilding 11 provinces in the country’s southeast that were hit by the February 6 earthquake.
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On Monday, the handover ceremony to Yılmaz was held by former Vice President Fuat Oktay.
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“We will continue on with investment, employment, production and exports. We will work to ensure that the current deficit is not a problem. In this regard, we will pay special attention to combating inflation affecting the lives of citizens. Other priorities include the reconstruction of the provinces, affected by the February earthquakes,” Yilmaz said.
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Annual inflation in Turkey in May amounted to 39.59%, the Turkish Bureau of Statistics (TÜİK) reported. According to the Bureau, the largest increase for the year – almost 70% – was recorded in the average check for dining out and hotel stays, as well as for healthcare services.
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In turn, the Independent Inflation Analysis Group (ENAG) states that the figure was 109%.
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The Central Bank of Turkey predicts that inflation will reach 22.3% by the end of the year.
