CHP Edirne Deputy Assoc. Dr. Okan Gaytancıoğlu asked the Minister of Agriculture and Forestry, Vahit Kirişci, about red meat and livestock imports, with a parliamentary question. Gaytancıoğlu said, “The Ministry thinks it will solve this problem with imports. If it was solved with imports, it would have been solved by now. This government, which monitors the slaughter of dairy animals because it suppresses meat prices, will do nothing but harm to Turkish agriculture. The officials of the Ministry are traveling from country to country in search of meat and livestock. The point where they brought our livestock is a complete bankruptcy.” said.
“WHAT THEY BROUGHT OUR LIVESTOCK IS A FULL BANKRUPTCY”
Reminding that the former Minister of Agriculture and Forestry Bekir Pakdemirli said on October 26, 2019 that no red meat and live animals will be imported unless it is compulsory, and similar statements were later used by AKP Chairman Recep Tayyip Erdoğan, Assoc. Dr. Gaytancıoğlu said, “As we reach March 2023, we see that the import of red meat and livestock continues. Apparently, due to the agricultural policies implemented, the import of red meat and livestock continues as a necessity for our country.
CHP Edirne Deputy Assoc. Dr. Gaytancıoğlu said, “Now we are talking about meat prices. The Ministry thinks that it will solve this problem with imports. If it was solved with imports, it would have been solved by now. This government, which monitors the slaughter of dairy animals because it suppresses meat prices, will do nothing but harm to Turkish agriculture. The officials of the Ministry are traveling from country to country in search of meat and livestock. The point where they brought our livestock is a complete bankruptcy.” said.
QUESTIONS FROM GAYTANCIOĞLU TO MINISTER KİRİŞÇİ
CHP Edirne Deputy Assoc. Dr. Okan Gaytancıoğlu asked the following questions to Minister Kirişci in his motion:
1.) How many live animals and red meat were imported into our country between October 26, 2019 and March 1, 2023?
2.) Has your Ministry been informed about how much has been imported since the day it told the AKP Chairman that no red meat and live animals will be imported?
3.) Is it true that Deputy Minister of Agriculture and Forestry İbrahim Yumaklı and Deputy General Manager of IHC Mustafa Kayhan went to Poland to make import connections?
4.) While the contract was signed for the importation of 7,500 heads of butchery, 4 thousand from Uruguay, one thousand from Romania and 2,500 from Hungary, one thousand tons of boneless meat from Bosnia and Herzegovina and 500 from Poland. Is it true to claim that a ton carcass meat import contract has been made?
5.) Are there any other countries your ministry bureaucrats are planning to go to in the coming days to make import connections?
6.) Is it true that the IHC sells the carcass meat obtained from butchery animals imported from Hungary to the butchers in Istanbul for 145 liras, while slaughtering the animal purchased from the producer for 116 liras?
7.) Is it true that a type of foot-and-mouth disease has emerged and spread to Turkey from sheep imported from Syria in an uncontrolled manner?
8.) Why hasn’t your ministry developed policies that will not oblige our country to import red meat and live animals for years?
9.) Does your Ministry have qualified persons to create and implement policies to end red meat and livestock imports? If your Ministry is insufficient in appointing qualified people, why didn’t you ask the opposition for help?
