Erdoğan accuses Greece of “fascist measures” against immigrants in latest tirade

Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan launched a new tirade against the Evros border fence, calling Greece’s effort to stem back waves of illegal immigrants from entering the country a “fascist” measure.

“Instead of finding a solution to the crisis, they locked the immigrants behind barbed wire fences,” the Turkish president said at the Congress of the Islamic World Constitutional Court Conference, which was held in Istanbul on December 22.

“We watch in disgust as those who do not consider the oppressed outside their borders display the most primitive reflexes of fascism when it comes to their own safety and well-being… The product of the morbid perception towards Muslims and the negative effects of the waves of hate continues today by our side,” he added.

Erdoğan then accused Greece of “barbaric treatment of refugees” and described the camps on the Eastern Aegean islands as “concentration camps”.

Elsewhere, Turkey’s monthly minimum wage will be 8,506.80 lira ($455) in 2023, the presidency said on Thursday – a 55% increase from the level determined in July and a 100% hike from January.

Speaking at a news conference earlier, Erdoğan said the minimum wage may be hiked again throughout the year if necessary. Annual inflation soared above 85% in recent months but has begun to ease slightly.

Erdogan said the employer and employee unions could not reach an agreement and the government stepped in to determine the number. Representatives of the employee union did not attend the announcement at the presidential palace.

The latest hike to the minimum wage has caused concern among businesses in Turkey since it would increase the cost for employers, according to Ramazan Kaya, president of the Turkish Clothing Manufacturers’ Association (TGSD).

“After the latest increase, the minimum wage’s cost for employers is now 11,758 lira ($630). Before the latest increase, it was $410. So with this cost increase, it is impossible for us to keep prices the same as before,” Kaya said.

Global customers of Turkish businesses will prefer Turkey’s rivals for production due to rising costs in Turkey, he said.

“We don’t have the chance to compete with our rivals such as Bangladesh, Vietnam, India or Cambodia. We will lose customers. And this will result in job cuts,” Kaya said, adding the textile sector was expected to lose 10% of its jobs.