Letter from Istanbul: Erdoğan is driving us to burnout | EUROtoday

Can a rustic collectively fall into despair? And by that I do not imply social despair, disaster or shock. Can the inhabitants of a rustic instantly plunge right into a psychological disaster collectively? Is it conceivable that broad sections of society endure burnout on the identical time? Unfortunately, if this nation is Turkey, that is actually potential.

None of us, together with the creator of this letter, are alone of their despair. On the opposite, there are lots of of us. The famend Turkish institute for opinion and social analysis Metropoll has printed knowledge for 2025 displaying that 61 p.c of residents on this nation are extraordinarily exhausted. One in two folks want psychological help. But solely two p.c of the inhabitants receives assist. The financial issues brought on by the palace regime and issues in regards to the future have introduced us into this case.

Surveys, research, statistics – all of them present clues about what we’re going by right here. One instance from actual life may be extra eloquent than dozens of articles on the topic. Last week, on a chilly, darkish night time, a parked automotive instantly burst into flames. The hearth division was referred to as, extinguished the fireplace and located the lifeless physique of 66-year-old Cemal Ertürk within the automotive. The pensioner had misplaced his condo as a result of he may not pay the lease and had been dwelling on the streets ever since. It acquired very chilly that night time, so he took refuge in a parked automotive to keep away from freezing to loss of life. He might have escaped the chilly, however not the fireplace.

Ertürk’s pension was elevated by 35 p.c final 12 months, however rents rose by a mean of 77 p.c over the identical interval. And within the final ten years it has elevated by 1,497 p.c. Even if he had managed to show each kuruş round twice and keep within the condo, his cash would hardly have been sufficient for heating. Because whereas pure fuel costs rose by ten p.c worldwide within the final two years regardless of the power crises, right here they rose by 162 p.c. Perhaps Ertürk would have survived with out heating, however would he have had sufficient to eat? That would most likely solely have been potential by a miracle. Since 2018, when Erdoğan launched his presidential system, the value of a kilo of cheese has risen by 3,450 p.c. The different day within the grocery store I could not imagine my eyes: for the present worth of dishwashing liquid we’d have gotten all the dishwasher in 2018.

Don’t assume that the hardship described solely impacts the decrease and center courses. Except for a small minority, the overwhelming majority endure from this, identical to burnout. There have at all times been wealthy and poor folks, however till the start of the noughties, as in lots of different trendy democracies, a reasonably sturdy center class fashioned the spine of Turkish society. However, that modified after Erdoğan got here to energy in 2002. It did not take lengthy for the non permanent prosperity that was because of the inflow of international forex after 9/11 to evaporate. Due to the financial insurance policies of the palace regime, the wealthy turned richer, whereas everybody else was lowered to poverty. The poverty of the poorest folks turned even worse, whereas workplace employees additionally felt poverty. While 20 years in the past a college graduate earned a minimum of 4 occasions as a lot as an individual with out a highschool diploma, in the present day it is just twice as a lot.

Broad sections of society have gotten equal in poverty, however even those that are higher off don’t at all times dwell comfortably. With the exception of a bunch of wealthy people who find themselves near the federal government, the above-mentioned burnout additionally has a agency grip on enterprise. Entrepreneurs, retailers and tradespeople lack future prospects. The figures for 2025 have simply been printed; within the final two years the variety of bankruptcies has elevated by 280 p.c and the variety of insolvency proceedings by as a lot as 383 p.c. A 3rd of the brand new firms based final 12 months have already gone bankrupt. Of course, no money owed have been paid off but. There at the moment are 24 million circumstances pending within the enforcement courts. With our inhabitants of 81 million, meaning practically a 3rd are liable to foreclosures.

The Turkish financial system used to work like this: If somebody with cash of their pockets did not wish to take entrepreneurial dangers in a troublesome financial scenario, they invested in actual property. At least the belongings did not shrink. However, the uncertainty brought on by Erdoğan’s financial coverage has additionally destroyed the as soon as protected haven of actual property investments. Official info exhibits that the funds of rich folks at the moment are flowing overseas. In the final 5 years, property purchases by Turkish residents overseas have elevated twelvefold. In 2025 alone, they acquired properties overseas price round 2.5 billion euros.

At the identical time that the above statistics on the scenario in 2025 have been printed, Erdoğan additionally took inventory of the 12 months. He appeared in entrance of the cameras and defined at size how excellently ruled Turkey is, saying, amongst different issues: “We are moving resolutely towards the goals that we have set as Turkey. Don’t worry.” And he added that there are “qualified cadres” at work in Turkey. What he calls certified cadres are folks he has appointed by signature. Maybe you keep in mind: He as soon as made his son-in-law a minister, and now he’s making ready his son for the time after the top of his personal period.

He appoints social gathering members with none information of international languages ​​to ambassadorial posts in essential capitals, and he appoints members of parliament whose time period of workplace is expiring as college rectors. Recently, two veterinary docs near the federal government have been appointed deans of a medical and a dental school. This isn’t a surprise, as a zoo director had already been appointed to go the nation’s central analysis and science funding establishment prior to now. Last week there was a tragic incident in Istanbul. In a courthouse, a prosecutor shot the lady, a choose, who had separated from him. And in our authorized system, which is dominated by the palace from high to backside, this prosecutor had labored within the division towards violence towards girls.

It takes braveness to criticize the work of “qualified cadres”. You can shortly end up in court docket for insulting the president or being accused of disinformation. Let’s assume you’re a enterprise proprietor in a metropolis in Anatolia. You complain in regards to the financial downturn and say you have not made any gross sales for months. Have you additionally complained in regards to the unfair tax penalty that was imposed on you? Then shortly discover a lawyer who can help you within the disinformation lawsuit. Or you’re a 16-year-old highschool scholar and also you criticized Erdoğan in a publish that was a bit harsh. Then you’ll be able to anticipate first police custody, then jail after which two proceedings directly: one for insulting the president, which requires as much as 4 years in jail, and one for sedition, for which try to be behind bars for as much as three years.

You may additionally be confronted with assortment and mixing procedures like me. Because I didn’t undergo the Erdoğan-affiliated entrepreneur Metin Güneş’s calls for for censorship, I used to be sentenced to twenty months in jail on probation. I used to be lately summoned to provide a police assertion due to statements I made protesting the decision. An investigation has now been initiated into 4 or 5 totally different allegations, which may end in a complete of a number of dozen years in jail. Because on this nation the place thieves, murderers and rapists are launched by amnesty, it’s not harmful to commit against the law, however it is vitally harmful to contradict it. For a very long time now, the judiciary on this nation has not ensured legislation and justice, however has as an alternative used threats to intimidate folks.

From Turkish by Sabine Adatepe.