‘If you don’t stop, they will even sell TOGG in the market’
Cem YILDIRIM/ANKARA
CHP Manisa MP Ahmet Vehbi Bakırlıoğlu spoke to SÖZCÜ about the ‘Retail Law’ to be discussed in Parliament.
Stating that the government has gone along with the chain markets behind secret doors and that there are not enough measures to protect small traders, Bakırlıoğlu said: “Who opposed this draft? Three letters. Who is protected here? Common three-letter chain supermarkets. The AKP again made its choice in favor of the rich and powerful. If this is not stopped, they will even sell Togg on the market, ”he said.
‘CUSTOMS ARE HARMFUL FOR SMEs’
bakirlioglu said:
“The Trade Minister talked many times about the retail law and drafts were prepared, but the proposal never reached Parliament. While all this was going on, in December, Commerce Minister Mehmet Muş called the representatives of the 4 chain markets with the most branches and threatened them saying: “We will never allow unfair price increases to disrupt order and the functioning of the market”.
As the CHP, we said, ‘If you want to fight them, bring the retail law.’ These 3 letters, these chain markets, gross and hypermarkets seriously harm traders, they sell everything and always sell it.
The grocer, the greengrocer, the butcher, the stationer, have no chance of competing with them. How do they compete? One is small merchants, the other is among the hundred largest companies. They cause serious damage not only to traders, but also to suppliers, producers and SMEs.
‘WE WERE OPEN AT 11 ON SUNDAYS’
Furniture, telephony, electronics, household appliances and construction materials would not be sold in market chains, these are not mentioned at all in the offer. In the draft, chain stores would open at 11:00 on Sundays, the goal was to protect grocery stores, this issue was never mentioned in the proposal.
‘THEY WILL EVEN SELL TOGG IN THE MARKET’
Who opposed this project? Three letters. Who is protected here? Common three-letter chain supermarkets. The so-called small businessmen would be protected, and the AKP again made its choice in favor of the rich and powerful. If this is not stopped, they will even sell Togg on the market. Unfortunately, the bill drawn up by the Ministry of Commerce two years ago was swept under the rug. If there is going to be a regulation, a bill should go to parliament to protect the traders, the suppliers of the chain markets and the producers and SMEs that produce on their behalf”.