To protest the power bill hike, people are turning off the lights at 9:00 PM for 15 minutes. Some opposition politicians also joined the resistance and declared they would not pay their utility bills. For many, the electricity bills amount to nearly one-third of their monthly income, making it impossible to pay.
Lights-off action against electricity hikes on the third day. People resisting utility hikes in Turkey
Several democratic mass organizations and political parties called to turn off the lights between 9 p.m. and 9:15 p.m. to protest increases in electricity tariffs continued for the third day.
Various political parties and democratic mass organizations have urged citizens to turn off the lights between 9 pm and 9.15 pm to protest increases in electricity tariffs. The electric bills increased nearly 100% in many places after the government gave the go-ahead to private power distribution corporations to jack up the prices. There are five corporations in Turkey that land government contracts. All five have close relationships and friendships with the Turkish president Erdogan. It is not surprising that the electrical power distribution contracts were granted to mostly these corporations. With the rise of inflation and the fall of the Turkish Lira against foreign currencies, the corporations can raise the prices. However, the people being hit from all sides have to cope with an inflation above 110% per some calculations and their below poverty line income.
To protest the power bill hike, people are turning off the lights at 9:00 PM for 15 minutes. Some opposition politicians also joined the resistance and declared they would not pay their utility bills. For many, the electricity bills amount to nearly one-third of their monthly income, making it impossible to pay.
Many citizens supported the action with their posts on the #IşıklarıKapaTürkiye and #ZamlarGeriAlınsın label. Okmeydan residents in Istanbul demonstrated on the third day of the action with pot pans in the streets.
Sendika.Org News (MB)