Turkish Statistical Institute (TurkStat) announced the official inflation data for April. Accordingly, the consumer price index (CPI) was 43.68 percent annually and 2.39 percent monthly.

The change in CPI was 2.39 percent in April 2023 compared to the previous month, 15.21 percent compared to December of the previous year, 43.68 percent compared to the same month of the previous year and 67.20 percent compared to the twelve-month averages. By main expenditure groups, the main group with the lowest increase in April 2023 compared to the previous month was housing with 1.47 percent. On the other hand, the main group with the highest increase in April 2023 compared to the previous month was communication with 5.93 percent.

THE SITUATION IS DIFFERENT ACCORDING TO INDEPENDENT RESEARCHERS

On the other hand, Inflation Research Group (ENAG), which consists of independent researchers, announced the inflation data for April. Accordingly, the Consumer Price Index increased by 4.86 per cent in April. The last 12-month increase in inflation was 105.19 per cent. The inflation rate for the January-April period was 29.27 percent.

WHY IS THERE A DIFFERENCE BETWEEN THE TWO DATA?

The reliability of inflation data announced by the Turkish Statistical Institute (TurkStat) has long been a matter of debate. TurkStat has stopped announcing the items in the inflation basket since May 2022.

TurkStat, which previously published the prices of 409 items and 904 item types, determined 290 expenditure groups with the latest change. With this change, it started to publish index information instead of average item prices for these groups. The Research Centre of the Confederation of Progressive Trade Unions of Turkey (DİSK-AR) filed a lawsuit on the issue and won the case, which was concluded in April 2023. Despite the judicial decision, TurkStat did not include the item price list, which forms the basis of inflation calculation, in this month's statement. "Official inflation data has become even more shady," DİSK-AR said in a statement.

TurkStat also filed a complaint in February 2021 against the Inflation Research Group (ENAG), a group of academics and economists that regularly publishes inflation data, and demanded a fine.

In a statement to Evrensel, ENAG Director Prof. Dr Veysel Ulusoy said, "Everyone has the freedom to share information within the scope of their expertise, which is a constitutional right. In this context, ENAG will share different statistics with the public to inform the society. ENAG belongs to the people. I would like to emphasise that this should be known as such."

THE CLAIM OF ENTERING THE ELECTIONS WITH SINGLE DIGIT INFLATION DID NOT HOLD

On the other hand, Minister of Treasury and Finance Nureddin Nebati had posted on his social media account on 3 March 2022, "We will enter the 2023 elections with a single-digit inflation figure", but this target was not achieved. (EVRENSEL DAILY)