In Kocaeli, Yenikent No To Price Hikes Platform gave a statement with their duvets against the price hikes. "Where do you channel the taxes that you deduct from our wages before we even receive them? While the prices of basic needs are being increased, and the homes, offices and palaces of the country's rulers are warm and cozy even in the middle of winter thanks to the huge taxes that they get from us; why do we always have to turn down the heating and reduce the portions? We do not accept your budget of hunger and misery."

"A NEW PRICE HIKE EVERY DAY"

Lawyer Elif Yetigin, who read the statement on behalf of the platform, said, "We wake up every day with the news of a new hike. The economic policies of the people who run the country are causing more and more impoverishment of the citizens who are trying to get by with their labour. The consequences of the Turkish lira plummeting against the dollar impact us as inflation. They're preparing our people for the dead of winter! Every politician who opens his mouth is urging citizens to be thrifty, as if they have no responsibility in the situation the country is in, as if we are all in the same boat!" he said.

"WHY DOES IT FALL ON US TO REDUCE PORTIONS?"

Referring to the statements of the Minister of Energy and Natural Resources about savings, Yetigin said, "Mr. Minister, turn around and ask us if we could turn on the heating. Or are we still covering ourselves with a duvet after a duvet? While all this is happening, budget negotiations are continuing in Parliament. You are doing another favor in the 2022 budget for companies that make profits and work their employees to death during the pandemic, and you are preparing to erase 336 billion liras of their tax debt. We ask the authorities, where do you funnel the taxes that you deduct from our wages before we even receive them? The prices of basic needs increase, while the homes, offices and palaces of the country's rulers are warm and cozy even in the middle of winter thanks to the huge taxes that they get from us; why does it fall on us to turn down the heating and reduce portions? We do not accept your budget of hunger and misery."

The platform listed its demands as "withdrawal of price hikes, no new hikes in prices", "raising wages to a humane level", "ensuring fairness in tax payments".