Chair of the Amed (Diyarbakır) Union of Chambers of Tradesmen and Craftsmen Alican Ebedinoğlu, underlined the serious economic imbalance between regions and said that this gap must be closed.
The multiple crises created by the Justice and Development Party (AKP) government continue to affect every aspect of life. Daily price hikes are reducing people’s purchasing power and deepening poverty, while small business owners are among those most affected by the worsening economic situation. Ebedinoğlu spoke to ANF and said, “As you know, especially in our region, tradesmen and craftsmen are the backbone of both employment and the economy. During more than 40 years of conflict, it was again our tradesmen and craftsmen who carried the burden on their shoulders. They did not leave the region; instead, they tried to create employment and keep their workplaces open. As tradesmen, we have truly gone through a very difficult period over the past decade. Along with the coup attempt, the pandemic, and later the earthquake, our tradesmen and craftsmen were severely affected, just like all segments of society in Turkey. These impacts, particularly when coupled with the ongoing economic crisis, are still being felt today. During this period, many businesses were forced to close.”
Hope for peace rekindled
Ebedinoğlu emphasized that progress in the peace process would open the door to new economic opportunities and said: “The solution to economic problems depends on peace. As you know, our hopes for the establishment of peace and brotherhood have been rekindled over the past year with the steps that have been taken. The only concern for us and our people is to ensure that the chaos experienced during the 2013 process is not repeated. To prevent this, everyone, each individual, group, and sector must embrace this process. I especially thank all political parties and all sides who have taken steps during this period and revived the hope for peace. The steps taken are indeed courageous and significant for both sides. These steps must be supported by tradesmen, merchants, the public, and all segments of society. Otherwise, we cannot bear the pain any longer, our citizens, our people cannot bear it. Yes, fundamental constitutional reforms are necessary to resolve the Kurdish question. Naturally, we want our linguistic and cultural rights to be recognized, and the necessary steps in this regard must be taken as soon as possible. Where there is no peace and security, you cannot speak of an economy. Our greatest priority in this process is to achieve an environment of peace and trust.”
The regional gap must be closed
Ebedinoğlu highlighted the deep economic imbalance between regions and said: “This gap must be closed. Hundreds of thousands of our young people are working in tourism regions or in the construction sector in the western provinces. Supporting tradesmen here means creating employment. The regional disparities must be eliminated, and tradesmen should be positively supported during this process. In fact, we also need to discuss the economic dimension of this process. For years, we have not reached the level we deserve. We have experienced major economic losses due to these circumstances, and to recover them, a new legal framework is needed. A new incentive law should be introduced to help the region grow economically.”