Press Release
Rise in Gas and Electricity Prices Turkish People Pay the Bill of Linking Turkey to the Dollar
(Translated)

At the press conference held by the Minister of Energy and Natural Resources, Tanr Yildiz and the Secretary of the European Convention for Energy and Minerals, Urban Rusnak after the meeting that took place between them; Yildiz said, in response to the journalists' questions about the price of gas and electricity: "We are heading towards raising gas and electricity prices by 9%." The minister attributed the reasons for this increase to the rise of dollar to 2.28 TL, and turbulence in the water system and low rainfall. This rise in the price of gas and electricity became effective as from the beginning of October, and for similar reasons these prices have been raised during the last three years, by a total of 39% for electricity and 57.9% for gas.

What Minister Yildiz said in his press conference of the reasons behind this rise in gas and electricity prices, is based on the principle of "limited resources for unlimited needs", or "relative scarcity", of the capitalist economic system which is applied in Turkey. While the reality is that, Allah Almighty made numerous resources and limited human needs. But the capitalist economy does not originally consider its people in the distribution of these resources instead these resources are shared by the owners of the capital and the companies as if they were their private property.

The continuation of a country like Turkey on an economic policy linked to the dollar; the monetary unit of the United States of imperialism, is another source of shame.

It is a contradiction that this state, with resources, is mostly based on the pockets of the nation under a thousand different names at the time it claims to be a great country. Otherwise how do you explain this 9% rise in gas and electricity prices at a time when the indicators of poverty, deprivation, slight increases in the salaries of employees and workers and the low wages appear to be in a miserable condition? Moreover, the excuse of water scarcity, in a country where rivers flow in it from all four sides, cannot be explained but as oppression.

It is a great injustice to sale essential goods and services, such as gas and electricity, to the people in high prices, since the state must secure the basic needs of living in prices that do not exceed the cost. Note that the natural resources on the Earth's surface and underneath, such as water, gas and electricity are public property of the Ummah. The state is responsible for their distribution and delivery to the people, and the allowance of its consumption must be limited to the cost of distributing and delivering it to the people. The Messenger (saw) said,

«المسلمون شركاء في ثلاث: الماء والكلأ والنار»

"The Muslims are partners in three things: water, feeding pastures and fire."

Oh Muslims! The state that is marketing the natural resources that are the property of the Ummah to the private capitalist companies is the same state that sells to the Ummah what is owned by the Ummah itself of wealth, at exorbitant prices. And the state, which funds recreational expenditures from the pockets of its citizens, cannot be a great state, but is an oppressive state. Unless the Turkish Republic abandons the corrupt capitalist system; the injustice and corruption that spreads throughout other aspects of life will continue to be in the economy as well.

For this to be it is crucial that you work to establish the rightly guided Khilafah "Caliphate" on the method of the Prophethood that puts what you own of wealth and natural resources, that Allah honored you with, to serve you and your interests, and does not market it for the capitalist countries and companies.

Work to topple these corrupt regimes, which deceive Muslims with the scarcity of natural resources and wealth, so that the Islamic Ummah returns to its earlier dignity and wealth.

Media Office of Hizb ut Tahrir
in Wilayah Turkey