The premises subject to the additional tax include the operators of Osman Gazi Bridge, Eurasia Tunnel, Yavuz Sultan Selim Bridge, Çanakkale Bridge, Ankara Train Station, airports, city hospitals, and some highways.

First, won’t these companies immediately pass on the tax increase to prices? In other words, won’t they shift the burden onto the poor, low, and fixed-income earners?

Some of the enterprises facing this tax hike have guaranteed revenues. For instance, if the number of passengers using certain airports falls short, the state—meaning us, the taxpayer—covers the difference. Similarly, if there aren’t enough tolls on some highways, the gap is filled by taxes paid by the public.

The state will increase the tax, highway usage will drop, and the public will pay more under guaranteed toll agreements. What a scheme!

The journalists who diligently praise the AKP are ready with their response: Taxes will be levied on those who can afford to use toll roads. Of course, tomatoes aren’t transported from Antalya to Istanbul, and trucks carrying tomatoes don’t use these roads, right? So, tomato prices won’t increase, will they?

This logic has hit a bump. Mehmet Şimşek is making round after round in London to find funds. The news coming in is grim: Don’t think about cutting interest rates; increase them. Otherwise, new money won’t come in.

I suppose this means new taxes are on the way.

The exchange rate is being suppressed, and according to the supposedly official data from TÜİK, inflation is expected to start falling. But prices keep rising. Every month, we buy a half-liter of water from the same store and compare the price to the previous month. In the last month, water that cost 7 TL rose to 9 TL. When we asked the store owners why prices keep rising despite no increase in inflation or exchange rates, their response was: TÜİK’s data doesn’t reflect reality. If we don’t reflect real costs, we can’t survive.

This reveals another truth: The government announces low inflation rates to avoid giving raises to retirees and workers, ignoring actual price increases. According to TÜİK data, the highest income group accounts for 48 percent of total spending. But inflation doesn’t concern them because they have money. Şimşek, however, targets those suffering from inflation, not those causing it.

Then, they say, “Come, CHP, let’s reduce the inflation...”